DOG DAYS
by Failuresnot2try
Summary: Rogue is a depressed Goth with suicidal thoughts. Remy is the man who had everything and lost it; cursed to remain a dog until he is loved by another. Between her pessimism and his lost hope will they ever learn to love?
1. Chapter 1

DISCLAIMER: I do not in anyway own the X-Men as well as the poem featured at the beginning, that is the work of Thalia. My story though, please enjoy.

...

**Dog Days **

...

_What do you call it when the hurt is in your soul?  
When you smile and laugh but you know it is all a show?  
When you feel like you've hit your all time low?  
When nothing makes you happy and the darkness around you grows?_

What do you call it when you feel so alone?  
When your in your house but it doesn't feel like home?  
When you look back in your life and every choice you made now seems wrong?  
When the wait to die seems far too long.  
  
The Goth girl retracted her pen from the pages within her ebony journal to gaze at the other students outside of her window. Those who choose to dipict her as a freak. Those who thought her a lesbo or satin worshiper. Those who, without pretense,judged her. She was outcast even amongst her mutant brethern.

At present they were all outside enjoying a game of soccer. They never invited her to play save for the teleporting elf, Kurt. In fact the only time she did join in was when Logan forced them to let her play. For the briefest of moments she thought that day might be a day where she wouldn't contemplate suicide. Naturally, she was wrong.

With a deep sigh she adverted her eyes to her book. Placing the pen in her hair she used her fingers to flip through its pages. The beginning held a flicker of hope. A small flame that brightened its pages. Yet as time passed her little flame had been broken, beating, chewed, spit out, stomped on, then left out in the rain to dry.

She no longer believed in happily ever afters. They were comforting lies fed from the old to the young just as regurgetated bird food to chicks. Many people would be stupid enough to believe that bullshit, but she for one wasn't fooled. They showed her what people were truly like, sure there are always a few descrepancies. Kurt for starters. Then Logan as well as the other adults at the mansion. Other than those select few the world is cold, her peoples heart encaged in steel just like the ink of her ballpoint pin. But if one were to release the ink from its confinement ...

"Rogue we need to talk." Logan didn't bother with knocking on doors. There was no need. Over the last few months they had developed a system of sorts. Once every other week he would demand that she try to make friends. Her, the natural pessimist, would refuse. Knowing where this conversacion was going she let out a sigh.

"Afternoon Logan." she said drearily removing herself from her window to her bed.

Not moving, "You know why I'm here?" It wasn't a question.

"You finaly managed ta buy friendship for me?"

Startled he shifted a little, "Buy?"

"Ha," she laughed humorlessly, "Ya honestly thank that I didn't know ya were offerin Kit money ta be my friend?"

He took a minute to correct himself. He had not known that his efforts had been discovered till now. Meeting her eyes firmly, "Still, you should make friends. You won't be young forever."

"Like yer one ta talk."

"Not everyone will age as ... gracefully as I do."

"Honestly Logan," she placed her notebook and pen back under her matress, "If money can't even motivate a bunch of teenagers ta befriend me why do ya thank I'll have a chance the natural way?"

"Give them time to get to know you."

"how much more damn time do they need Logan; it's been over a year now!" she snapped.

Crossing his arms, "Rogue you're being a baby! You can't hord yourself in your room for the rest of your days watching life pass you by through that," he pointed, "window!"

"Life has already passed me by!"

Rubbing his temples, " For christ sake you're only eighteen."

"You'll never understand me Logan so don't try to!" she yelled back at him, her eyes abalze.

Stepping closer, "Do you know the hell I witnessed before I was even half your age?"

"Boo hoo," she rolled her eyes, "You killed your father. Been there done that. But look at ya Logan. You have had the chance to be happy, to be adored, to be respected, to be loved both psychologically and physically. I will never have those thangs. People don't respect me or or look up to me. They hate me. They fear me.

Atleast you are at home with our own kind. Even mutants look at me like I'm some kinda freak. Some demon from hell. No one besides you, Kurt, Storm, and the Professor has ever smiled at me. I'm tired of people flinching when round me. I'm tiered of people talking about me behind my back like I can't hear 'em. I'm tired of being alone and yet there is no place for me to go but here. Not that I have a choice.

I'm tired of watching people touch each other. What Scott and Jean have I'll never have. I will be alone forever. I heard ya talk with the Professor. Yall believe that I'll be like this forever ... so tell me Logan what do I have to look forward to in the future? What do I have to live for?"

He watched the way she gripped her comforter as she ranted. She was suffering. He wanted to lie to her. To tell her that everything would get better. To comfort her in a way that a caring non-abusive father would. But he was still Logan. He wasn't known for his candor. He told everyone the blunt truth wether it hurt or not. What should he say? Should he say, 'Yes, Rogue your right?' If he did that he'd probobly be scooping her brains of the cement from a suicide attempt. And if he said the opposite ...

"Ok Rogue, your right," he sat next to her on the matress, "But what if the happiest moments of your life is just around the next corner? Do you want to risk the chance at true happiness?"

Looking at him, "True happiness is a life without pain."

Wincing, "You're not going to try to make friends are you."

"I thank we both know te answer ta that."

Rogue watched as he left her. A part of her wanted to cry when she talked about her life, but to what purpose when there was no one to listen to her cries? It would be as the theme of her life, pointless.

...DD...

Remy Etiene LeBeau, the cajun with everything, the looks, the ladies, the loot, and he basked in it all for he believed he deserved it. He was better than most in his opinion and since he was better he believed he deserved the best. No overweight whore ever got to ride on his cock. He never took 'jobs' for less than ten thousand a pop. He was a man who enjoyed life and its gifts. Having everything any man would ever want made him love life an live it to its fullest.

However, tonight was his father's birthday. He was not so vain as to forget his family. Instead he took his father out to his favored club to get him laid by the 'trinity'. Trinity meaning an African American, an Asian, and a white chick that met his standards. Each were shorter than him with legs that seemed to go on forever, young but legal, the perfect hourglass shape, full assets, and of course eager to please.

_A few hours later ... _

"Did ya have fun tanight?" Remy asked as he walked home with his father. He could had just drove, but his father had insisted that they walk.

Smiling, "Yeah it was nice."

Walking beside him, "Let me guess ya want ta talk with me?"

"It's hard to talk to ya when yer over seas pilfrin things." JeanLuc pointed out.

Rolling his eyes, "That's what ya wanted smart ass," he reminded his foster father, " When we were young ya told Bobby, Jimmy, and I that someday we will be better than these swamps. That someday te world will recognize te LeBeau family again."

Interupting, "I did."

"Ya said the risk would be high, but te reward great."

"I said that too." he agreed.

"So what's wrong?" Remy asked, "I bested yer greatest expectations."

"I know," he stopped to light a cigarette, "Do ya know how old ya are?"

"Twenty-five. I could hardly fa'get my own birthday."

"Do you know that our line of work is the same as being an athlete? We expire. But, not before we train the next generation."

"I aint havin no kids!" he turned on his father.

"Remy don't be a child. Ten years from now you'll be lucky if yer still able ta do what ya can now. Mutant or no yer still human. It's not like I'm saying get married or ..."

Deciding it was his turn to interupt, "I'm to busy ta raise a child!"

"I already thought bout that. When yer gone I'll watch him or her."

Narrowing his eyes, "Yer getting the Grandparents disease aint ya?"

"What?"

"Oh ya know when people get a certain age they miss having children round. An if ya thank I'm givin ya grandkids jus ta humor yerself than think again!"

"Just one then."

"I said NO."

"Why not?"

"Why so? I don't need a child nor want one. I have everythang I ever wanted."

Laughing, "I was young once too. Trust me as good as te money and te femmes are there is sometin else in te world that you will want even more. Fer now ya just have tunnel vision."

"Oh really so what's better than bangin the worlds finest and making more money in two weeks than most people make in a year?"

"Love."

"Now ya sound like Dumbledore."

"Who?"

"Doesn't matter. Point is love really don't exist."

"Then why do people get married?"

"Fer financial means cause no one person can survive this economy an raise a family on one persons salery."

Sighing, "You'll learn ta love someday."

"I know he will." a female voice said causing both men to look behind them.

"Who'se there?" JeanLuc asked seeing no one. As he asked the lamp post went out instantly enshrouding the block in an innatural dark glow. Gambit backed up to cover his father while charging a card for light.

"What ya want with us?" Remy asked the voice.

"To repay a debt." she said again before the light flashed on and off. When it finally stayed on they turned to see what appeared to be a vodoo witch standing atop the post.

"Evening gentlemen." she purred. Gambit instantly threw his card at her causing her to vanish and reappear before him, "That was not very nice."

"Leave us alone!" JeanLuc growled at her.

"There is," she insited moving her gold eyes over them, "A debt to be repaid."

"An what does this debt have ta do with us." Gambit said still keeping his father firmly behind him.

"Not both, just you." She placed a hand on his face, "You have been truly blessed with beauty. It is a shame that I have to take it all away."

Before he could do so much as think a protest he was attacked by a storm of ravens picking and peeling at his body. He barely heard his father's voice over the sound of squaking and tearing flesh. What had he done to dieserve this?

By the time the birds left him he lay upon the floor.

"Remy!" his dad shouted, picking him up in his arms as if he were half the weight he was.

"What's wrong?" he asked only to be answered by random barking.

"Turn my son back!" JeanLuc demanded.

The witch simply cackled, "Your son shall remain as is until he truly learns what it is to be loved." she said dissapearing in a storm of black birds.

"Remain as what!" Gambit paniked once again hearing barks. He looked around until he saw his reflection in an empty store window. He was a dog. A shaggy, undernourished looking red dog with the eyes of his former person. If he could cry he would.

"Don't worry son," JeanLuc held him tighter, "I'll take care of you until we can fix this."

**. **

**Please Review :)**

Going in a different direction with this one. Hope that you all enjoy it thus far ...


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own X-Men and its characters/scenarios contained within as well as their business partner Disney.

**Dog Days**

Bobby was bragging about being the best again at the dining room table while Jimmy protested claiming that he was the best. As per usual JeanLuc would remind them that it was he in fact who set numerous records that they would never touch in their dizziest of days. And where was Remy LeBeau? A dog siting at his father's feet watching the men gorge on food.

"Ah Pa," Bobby swallowed the food in his mouth, "When ya gonna get rid of this mut?"

"Bobby!" Jimmy scolded, "Pa already told us that it was a very special dog and that we must treat it wit te upmost respect."

"I don see why," he bit his biscuit, "Damn dog don't even come when I call it."

"Cause it no like you."

"Boys," JeanLuc hated their bickering, "The dog is a member of this family."

"If ya wanted a dog Pa I coulda got ya one. This mut looks like they paid ya ta take it off they hands."

His brother had a point. Why did he have to be an ugly dog? His father told him that he would not tell the others, that it might be safer that way. He comforted Remy all the way home giving him compliments, which he never did, and vowing to find a way to change him back. In the days that followed they visited many a witch. None of which could help claiming that the magic was too powerful.

But he believed back then, or at least he forced himself to believe that being a dog had its advantages. The first being that he could rest all day on the couch watching his favorite stations, but his brothers shooed him off changing it to what they wanted. And then he thought that he could still play with cards, but after crumpling nearly a whole deck he gave the idea up. But what if he was hungry? He couldn't eat at the table instead on the dirty floor always eating leftovers. If he wanted to be clean he was incapable of running a tub to do so. He was becoming completely dependent upon his family.

Oh yes and what of sexual desires? He knew good and well no femme was going to blow a dog, but he could at least sneak a peak. He walked over to Bourbon Street to make the prostitutes there adore him, but they shooed him away too calling him ugly and claiming that he had rabies which eventually lead to an extended stay at the pound.

So he thought to sleep his troubles away, but every little sound made his ears snap up. Was there nothing to be had in this form? He had never felt so alone. He had everything. Everything! And here he was now with the voted most likely to scare children away mug living off of whatever they could piece together in the kitchen.

He wished at the very least to be a talking dog, but that too had to be stripped from him for absolutely no reasons. He grew to assume that God was jealous of him for beating the system. He was jealous that he was actually enjoying his life instead of living through suffering and striving only to remain at where they were when they started.

"I'm going out boys an tis house better be clean when I get back. And watch te dog." JeanLuc left. He had a council meeting to get to.

"I'll come wit. Good ta have someone there just in case sometin jumps off." Jimmy followed suit. Bobby watched his brother leave. Remy watched as Bobby smirked.

"Ah come 'ere doggy."

Instead he went to the couch. If he was going to suffer the rest of his life he ought as well do it on something comfortable.

"I said come 'ere."

(ignores)

"Fine if ya want it tat way." He heard his brother disappear upstairs thinking nothing of it when he came back down, "Pa aint gonna like tis today or maybe even tomorrow, but I am getting rid of ya. Want ta know why doggy?"

He ran for the kitchen knowing full well there was a doggy door made especially for him. His brother chased. The two running around the yard with his brother holding a tranquilizer gun, "I'm doin tis not cause it would be doin a favor ta anything wit eyes," he reloaded his gun, "I'm doin tis cause yer eyes remind me of Remy an I hate him. He's always so smug. A pretty boy wit te world in his hands. Ya know I wish tat ya were him, an if ya were lil doggy I'd be usin a real gun instead of tis here tranquilizer." And shot. Finally one hit him in the leg and all went blank.

He awoke in a cage. Judging by the open air and constant swaying he was on his brothers truck imagining ways to get his brother back for this. All of which was of him being in his human form.

"_I can't shoot 'em. I'm a dog remember"_ he thought to himself resigned to bark. Many barks later they were at a river. A wide, brown, rushing, river … _Oh Gawd no! _

"I'll jus tell dad ya ran doggy."

Caged he was tossed into the rushing river. He thought instantly two thoughts. One being could dogs hold their breath? And secondly he was going to die. He hit the water. It flooded his ear canals until he heard nothing. His sight telling him all that he could. He knew in this current that the cage would rise out of the water. Rem waited and waited willing the pounding of his lungs on his chest to cease when it finally happened.

Inhaling precious air he knew he had little time. He had to get out of this cage if there was even a hope for survival. Remy eyeballed the simple lock. Paddling against the current he nudged it with his nose. When that didn't work he bit at it twisting his body reminiscent of a swamp gator. He felt so tiered after continuous tries. He even tried to reach his big paw between the bars. That didn't work either.

Willing to admit defeat in that department he turned to see his surroundings. Rocks. The current is always faster near those. He could even feel it maybe even hear it even with his logged ears. To his right there was a big rock coming. Hopefully one of them would due. Bearing right he relaxed waiting for fate to take its course.

The first three rocks did little. The fifth rock did the trick. His body flung from the cage into more water he swam along the edge until he reached shore. Breathing rapidly he wondered where to next? Home wasn't an option anymore.

"_I've truly lost everything." _

Happy to never see water again he began to head north. Why? Because that was the only star that seemed to speak to him so he followed, cold, wet, weighed down from his 'bath' and hungry.

…**DD… **

"Professor why do I have to do it!" Jean protested.

"Jean I know you were raised better than this," the old man sighed, "All I want you to do is take her shopping."

The red head pouted, "No."

"And why not?"

"Because Professor when I'm with her I feel like she's going to drain my soul away at any second like some grim reaper or something. And it's so obvious that she participates in devil worship. Locked up in her room all day alone dressed in black. Not to mention she obviously has a thing for girls."

"Jean as mutants we are often discriminated against despite our color, despite our sexual preferences, and despite our religion. Why must you make this harder on a fellow mutant that it has to be?"

"My answer is still no."

"Then I am no longer asking, but telling."

"But Professor that's not fair!"

"If you refuse then I will send you back home as well as suspend you from the X-Men permanently."

"That's unfair."

He sighed, "It shouldn't have to be. Remember when you visited Yale and they found out that you were a mutant and refused to accept you after you already got your acceptance letter? Remember how you felt when they talked about you as if you were less than nothing? Remember how their voices sounded of nothing but pure hate. The type of hate only the truly ignorant can hold? Do you remember how humiliated you were when the student's their called you freak and threw eggs at you on your way out? And do you remember how alone you felt?

"Fine I'll do it," se chased away the ghost of memories that plagued her, "But why is she so special? Why do we got to be forced to play with her?"

"Because she has no one. The fear that you received that day in Yale is what she lives. There is not a day or dream in which she can escape that. Do you really believe that she deserves the treatment that she is given?"

"No." Jean said it but she knew after her little girl's night out that she would go right back to treating Rogue as if she were separate and she knew that he knew as well.

…**DD… **

She watched as Jean drove. How her hands tensed and un-tensed. She was obviously forced into this. By who? More than likely the Professor. She wanted to laugh. People had to be forced to be with her. Her. It wasn't like she was a convicted felon. But she could use this time wisely. She didn't plan on living that much longer.

"Jean?" Rogue called her name four times before she answered.

"What? Can't you see that I am driving?" she snapped.

"Can't ya hear that I am askin ya a question?"

"I swear if it wasn't for the Professor …," she grumbled, "What is it?"

"What do ya live for?"

"What kind of question is that? I have high SAT and ACT scores, I'll go to college, become a doctor as well as being an X-Men. I will save lives! And there's Scott of course."

"And ya love Scott?"

"He is my boyfriend! Of course I love him."

"Why."

Jean did her best to not look or sound impatient as she spoke, " Because he is the other half of me, but you wouldn't know anything about that would you?"

"No, and I never will. That is why I asked you."

"Anything else?"

"Does everyone hate me because of my powers only or because how I look and my powers?"

"Obviously it's all the above. Nothing about you screams friendly. I don't even know why Scott says hi to you when he sees you."

"Probably because he has manners."

"And I don't?"

Rogue looked away from her in favor of the window, "No one's perfect. Everyone's always pointin out my flaws so I understand if yer feelings are hurt since I told ya bout ya self."

The rest of the ride was silent. Jean counting down the minutes till this was over and Rogue knowing as she always did that she didn't matter. Her mother died giving birth to her, but her father hated her. Especially after he found out that she was a mutant. And when that happened the kids at school disliked her more. Dislike turning to hate when the true nature of her power became reviled. There was nowhere to call home. Not out there with the humans and not here with the mutants.

"Hot Topic I presume?" Jean struck up conversation again, "And while you're shopping just make sure not to touch nobody and I get to ask you questions."

Rogue went to the clearance rack starring down at some more dreary clothes. The simple fact was that she was poor. She couldn't afford Hot Topic clothes all the time which is why she often went to the Goodwill. Malls were too full of judgmental people for her taste. But since she was here she looked for the cheapest clothing item to buy.

"So where are your parents?"

"Dead."

"How?"

"Mom died in childbirth. My dad died because he deserved it."

"Right … so do you have siblings?"

"No."

"Friends."

"Kurt an Logan."

"Are you always miserable?"

"Yer intent on askin te obvious questions aren't ya?"

Ignoring her statement, "Have you ever fell in love before?"

"How can ya fall inta something that ya know notin about?"

"So you never had a crush? Not even one?"

"My computer got crushed does that count."

" … So how do you deal with being different than everyone else?"

"I write and watch."

"About?"

"I write about my life. I watch people living one."

"How come you never join us?"

"How come ya never ask me ta join ya?"

"Touché, do you hate me?"

"Aside from wishin that Karma would bite ya in te ass? No."

"No?"

"I have so much hate directed to me that I can barely take it. I just want ta leave it all behind sometimes."

"Yeah and maybe you should kill yourself." Jean teased.

"Don't worry about that I will."

"No need to sound so serious."

"I am serious. No one would really miss me. The sun'll still rise. The planet'll still rotate and yall would go on with yall lives. Afterall ya wouldn't be here being tortured wit me if I were dead."

Jean didn't know what to say. She did hate the girl, but she didn't want her to kill herself. If she told the Professor he might think that this is her fault, but then again if she didn't she might actually kill herself. Virtually she had to choose between herself or Rogue. Helping herself or helping another. What should she do?


	3. Chapter 3

**DOG DAYS **

**.**

To say he was starving would be an understatement. To say that he was willing to eat out of a trash can however was pushing it. He may be a human turned dog as some sick twist of fate, but that didn't mean he didn't have standards. His nose had led him to many restaurants, but no one there was forthcoming with food and he was NOT going to eat off the ground.

And at night when he wanted to rest without fear of being dognapped by the animal center he would sleep on the very edge of the forest where only dear and possum passed or he would hide under a bridge next to the homeless people.

It was rather odd that the homeless, who had nothing to give, were the only ones willing to share food with him. One man called Shaggy Bob gave him a few crackers while Tutu-Tony gave him a sip off his vodka bottle. It may had been little more than a taste tester to him, but he swore whenever he was human again and passed a homeless person up, no not the ones on the highway holding the sign in designer clothes, he would give them some money.

Head hung he looked at the star he was following again. He had been traveling for weeks? Maybe months? It was hard to tell when he required very little sleep so it was difficult to pinpoint how long he had truly been on his own.

Further along a lake appeared a sign reading Harvestraw Bay wherever that was. But at least it had water and maybe he might even catch a fish! Couldn't be much different than sushi right? He paddled around for half an hour. The darn fish were just too hard to catch when his ears picked up something.

"I looked everywhere Josh and I didn't see her!"

"Calm down Lisa, she has to be here somewhere."

"We've been looking. Oh God please don't tell me she fell in the bay!"

"She did want to go swimming. You look upstream and I'll look down."

"But Josh what if … what if she's …"

"Just look Lisa!"

"Kate!"

"Kate!"

"KATE!"

Their screaming was getting on his nerves when he heard a much quieter voice, "Mommy! Daddy!"

More than likely that was Kate. Starved ugly mutt to the rescue. As he paddled he heard people on either side. Apparently he was in Pennsylvania and from what he heard this particular body of water opens up into the ocean. So he swam faster. Being a dog must have given him more charitable qualities. If he were the old him he would have left the kid be. People die every day so why bother with nature's work?

Finally he could make the kid out. Kate was small, no more than five, wearing a princess floatie holding on to one of the support beams underneath a bridge crying for her parents. He paddled next to her. Ceasing her crying she looked at the ugly dog.

But Kate didn't see ugly. She saw a friend. A friend willing to help her. Without a second thought she leapt for the dog holding on to its thin neck as it paddled them to shore. She also held on until her father came into view.

"Katie Lisa Jackson don't you ever scare me like that again! Ever!" He scolded pulling her into his arms. Still holding her he reached for his cell, "Lisa I found her. She's safe … yes downstream … see you soon."

"Daddy I sorry." Kate cried into his arms.

He was ready to leave this mushy scene when the father asked the girl who he was. And she spoke about him as if he were the best thing in the world. She talked about how good he is and how heroic he was for saving her and the Father motioned him to come here promising to take him home.

That night he crossed the state border into New York, was welcomed into a warm home, and fed five delicious steaks. Each bigger than the last. They rubbed his head telling him what a good boy he was and how they would return the favor for saving their daughter in the morning.

Morning came and went. At present he was in a pets shop watching the family he helped get into their car and go. So much for thanks! He saved their brat! The least they could have done was treat him like royalty for the rest of their lives.

…

"I bought you sometin!" Kurt smiled handing his sister a bag of vampire romance novels, "I zhink they will cheer you up."

"Ya shouldn't have Kurt."

"But I did." He sat on her bed watching as she scanned the covers. She had read most of them, but she wasn't going to ruin Kurt's happiness since she had so little in her life she wanted to preserve it for others.

"Thanks."

"So I vas zhinking zhat your birthday is coming up …"

"I never told anyone my birthday."

"And you've been here vhat two years? It is time to celebrate!" He beamed.

"I don't care fer birthdays or parties."

He sighed, "Rogue you never happy. Ever. Vat do I have to do to make you smile?"

Rewrite history. "I'm fine Kurt an I already came up with a solution to my problems."

"Good." He praised obviously unaware of her true meaning, "So zhat means you vouldn't mind any help ja?," not waiting for response, "I bought you books, but Logan vants to take you shopping."

She moaned, "He knows I hate it when people spend money on me."

"And you know he hates it vhen you refuse him. Please. He's waiting for you in truck now."

…

"So where we going and how come Kurt couldn't come?"

"Because I wanted to talk to you."

"About the same thangs?"

"Yes and no."

"Meanin?"

"Your teachers say that you're a good student, but you never do partner work, you always sit by yourself, and you never raise your hand in class."

" …"

"Rogue look I was thinking that maybe you should leave here. Go somewhere new. Start off fresh. Make friends you know after you graduate high school and pick a place that I approve of."

"I'm tired of tryin ta please everybody Logan. I aint bout ta turn inta someone else so tat people'll like me."

"Whatever the case I can't wait for you to graduate this spring. I have a big day planned for us."

She never planned on graduating. "How big."

"You'll see."

He looked so happy. She could never tell Logan about her suicide plans. She had actually thought hard about when to end her suffering. The month of April sounded most fitting. She had hoped along with the change in seasons that the rain would wash away her as well as the memories of her from the very few people that cared.

"What are you thinking about Stripes?"

"A way ta make thangs better fer myself."

"Yep College can be tricky."

…

He had been here a whole month and no one even considered buying him even when he imitated the other animals cute looks. He was just so damn ugly and if this kept up he would be put down.

That was when he swore he was going to get adopted this week except today was the last day of this week and possibly his life. He was about to give up when a beautiful woman walked in. She had bouncy blonde hair, probably dyed, brown eyes, and big fake tits. He would do anything to go home with that! So he whined a bit to catch her attention.

"What breed is that? And what's wrong with his eyes?"

"We don't know Miss, but he'll only cost you twenty bucks."

She actually showed interest in him when another girl came in. She made him cringe. The girl looked like a Goth drag queen with a face more masculine then his own with a Gaston chin. Positive that it wasn't Halloween yet he continued playing cute for the bimbo.

Until said Bimbo saw the manager bring a new puppy out. A chocolate lab with wide eyes. He knew it was over then. As fast as her legs could carry her she was gone. That was it. Remy Etienne LeBeau was done for.

"What's this?" The Goth man chick asked.

"Oh don't worry Miss I'll be taking him away now." The manager said.

"Away?"

"Yes no one wants him so …"

"I'll take him!"

"You … will?" He asked in disbelief.

She nodded, "I want him."

No please! Merde! Anyone but the drag queen! He barked at them until he realized that the thing just saved his life.

…

Logan didn't know what possessed Rogue to get such an ugly dog, but when he thought about it she was always the unwanted one just like the dog. It would seem that they were indeed made for each other.

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**Raven34link: Yes she did. You'll find out why eventually **

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**Roguelover321: Thanks for reviewing **

**kii-g-14: I'll keep that in mind next chpt. **

**Beatlesrock101: Yeah there is a lot of Jean Bashing going around **


	4. Chapter 4

**Dog Days **

**. **

Her dog is different as simple as that. He did as he pleased never what he was told. He seemed to take a liking to the other females. He chose table scraps over dog food and literally shook his head at every name she gave to him. The only things he did that she appreciated was seeing his self-outside to use the bathroom and behaving while she walked him.

"Ok how about," she flipped through a book on popular dog names, "Max."

He shook his head.

"Luke?"

He shook it again.

"Henry?"

Forty-nine names later, "Oh I give up," she slammed the book down, "Of all te dogs in te world I had ta get te one who thanks he's a person!"

He rolled his dog eyes. At least he had a real name! Rogue? Who woke up one morning and thought to name their daughter that! Giving up as well he found a spot to lie on the ground glancing at the clock. At five the sexy red head will take a shower always leaving the door somewhat cracked. And at six the valley girl will wash her dented car always getting the perfect amount of water on her shirt and if he were lucky the braless African would pay another visit.

"And you mister need to eat the dog food I bought you! Need I remind ya tat I saved ya from death?"

There she was nagging again. If this was what a mother was like he was glad all he had was JeanLuc. Standing he trotted away from her with any luck there would be scraps in the kitchen.

…**. **

The weeks that followed proved no better than before with her furry 'friend' who now took interest in leaving little presents in her boots making her more than ready to help the Professor when he asked that Wednesday morning.

"Thank you for this Rogue." The Professor said watching the dog leering at its master curiously.

"An wat exactly is tis? Do I getta leave?" She said rather hopefully.

"Quite the opposite. There is a new student here and I believe that your … experiences with your father will be able to help her find herself."

Visibly paling, "I thought those conversations were not supposed ta be brought up again."

"I know, but Amanda Sefton needs help and you are the only one who can do this."

"Fine," she snapped, "When is she coming?"

"Shortly, she has already been notified."

"Joy." She said sarcastically sitting in her bed.

As she did so he watched her. Something wasn't quite right about her. Ever since late summer she had started giving up. No longer did she argue back when a student provoked her she simply took it just like she is now with her bad dog. Instead of punishing it in some way she allows it have run of the place.

And speaking of her dog if it didn't have four legs and bark he would have thought that it was a person. The canine refused dog food, always knows when to spy on Jean and Kitty in the showers, and for a reason he can't fathom torments Rogue without pause.

"Professor?" Amanda said.

"Amanda this is Rogue. Rogue this is Amanda." He introduced before leaving giving one last concerned look at Rogue. He had promised her he wouldn't venture into her mind, but he had a feeling that he would have to reenact on those words.

Rogue eyed the mocha skinned nervous girl with long well-kept black dreads and hazel eyes in a white dress stand at her doorway before she motioned for her to take a seat.

Amanda looked at the girl and honestly when the Professor said that the girl had suffered similar issues as her she expected a scrawny weakling with doe eyes. To her surprise she saw a woman who she was sure could kick everyone's ass in this mansion twice over. Apparently looks can be deceiving.

Remy glanced between the two wondering what they were about to talk about. Gandalf had mentioned Rogue's father. No doubt when her father found out she was into the same sex he had a heart attack, or at least that's what he thought this was about. Maybe she got a secret sex change? And if the other girl was a lesbo he wouldn't mind that at all. Maybe Kitty sways that way too. A guy could only hope.

"Nice dog." Amanda broke the silence, "What breed is he."

"Ugly."

"Umm," Amanda played with the hem of her dress, "How do we start this?"

"How do ya want to start?"

He tried not to think of this in a naughty way.

"I … I … my counselor says it's best to have someone listen to your problems you know."

"Then start when ya feel like it."

Minutes rolled by to the point where Anna believed the girl wouldn't speak when she finally did, "My Uncle," she started, "He always loved me you know. I have seven cousins around my age, but I was special. He used to always get me something extravagant for my birthday. He always wanted to be a part of my life. He even bought me my first cell phone with his number programmed on it so we could talk and text all the time. He was my best friend you know.

Then I turned sixteen. My mother wanted soo much to throw my Sweet Sixteenth, but Uncle Ted did as well. Uncle Ted always went all out for me so I told my mom no. I told her that I'll have it at his place like I always did. And the party was better than anything I could have imagined. I was carried in by four guys decked out in Egyptian gear to the main room which was also decorated to a tee with a big pyramid cake, a live band, wall high presents, friends, streamers, laser lights, and other dressed up guys to wait on us.

All who were invited my Uncle bought them a gift and I thought at the time that he was being so generous. And for me? He bought me the white thoroughbred I've wanted since I was two. I cried out of joy and partied to like three in the morning. And when everyone left my Uncle called me to the living room asking me if I enjoyed myself and I was all 'of course I did' and 'that was sooo amazing Teddy' and 'I'll be the talk of the school! Take that Jamie Watson!'

And then he casually mentioned I had confetti in my hair and wanted to brush it out. So I was all ok and sat next to him, but he insisted that I sit on his lap so I did, but something didn't feel right. Especially, when he began to sniff my hair. The morning after I switched to dreads.

Naturally I thought I was tired from all that partying to have imagined that my uncle would make a pass at me until it happened again and again and again and again. So I confronted him about it. He said, 'you didn't think I did all of this for nothing did you?' Then I said, 'did what?' And he laughed, 'the parties, the spoiling, I brought you an f'n horse for Christ sake and if I'm going to be shoveling horse shit everyday then I might as well get some … thing in return.'

So I ran. I told my father, but he wouldn't believe me. And I told my Mom. They were all 'Uncle Teddy is so nice how could you say that?' Then he was around all the time. He drove me to school, picked me up, he didn't touch me yet, but he had this look in his eyes like some sort of vulture stalking its prey.

I talked to my school friends, but no one believed me except for my older cousin Joe. He moved into my parent's home to watch over me. So I felt safe then one day I was taking out my trash like any other good little girl doing her chores when someone grabbed me from behind covering my mouth and slammed me into the wall.

It was Uncle Ted. He said he missed me and that he had been so lonely since his wife died well over eighteen years ago and that he needed me now and kissed me hard. You know everyone imagines their first kiss. Some want it to be rough and passionate and others sweet. Mine should have never been like that!

He touched me and what was worse was that I couldn't do anything. I just let it happen. A part of me was shocked and the other scared and I couldn't. I just couldn't," she cried, "I don't even think I breathed when he did that. Then he pulled away and told me that he would be back for more and left.

Instead of running to get Joe I cried. Just sat there wallowing in self-pity. I always did this after he kissed me in abandoned school hallways, in his car, it's just I just couldn't do anything. Then one day he began to touch me down there and something snapped me back to reality so I hit him as hard as I could. So he punched me.

I crawled into a ball and cried. All the fight was gone believe me when I tell you I just gave up. It didn't matter that he was undressing me I just couldn't," she cried harder, "Then Joe came in. He found it odd that I wasn't back at home yet so he went to check here first, found the door open, and caught my Uncle in the act.

Teddy tried to bribe Joe, but he wouldn't hear of it. Then he offered to share and that's when Joe called the police. My Uncle wasn't done yet though. He tried to hurt him and when that failed he pulled out a gun telling him to back off or he would shoot him when the cops came in, wounded him, and I was safe.

He's in prison now and after that my parents apologized profusely. You know after something bad happens they finally decided to be the parents I needed them to be. I can never forgive them for doubting me like that. And so we moved a few times, found out I'm a mutant with healing properties, and now I'm here.

My mom thinks that if they move to another state and leave me here if Teddy ever gets out of jail and comes looking I'll be safe. It's just that I don't think I can be safe anymore. I mean Teddy's my Uncle, he was my inspiration, he was better than Santa to me when I was a kid. In my eyes he could do no wrong and look at what happened!

My mom says she understands my pain, but she doesn't. She doesn't know what it's like to have everything you loved and believed in ripped from under your feet all in a fleeting moment. She doesn't know what it's like to not sleep from the nightmares. She doesn't know what it's like to live in fear. I won't even go to the bathroom alone after that incident. Always checking corners. Always living in fear." Amanda removed her tears with her arms, "I guess this is the part where you share."

Anna gauged the girl silently before starting, "My parents were happy once you know. My ma was a homemaker an my dad worked at tis little insurance place in the city. We didn't have much, but it was enough for us. I would wake up to both my parents smiling. Always happy.

Then my father found out tat I wasn't his daughter an every thang changed. He never had suspicions but his nosy brother did. Convinced him ta get a blood test an when my father found out I wasn't his sometin snapped in 'em tat day.

My mother and father argued. That was te first time he beat her. He apologized right aftah, but aftah tat my father was half a man. He was always callin. Checkin in ta see where my mom was an if she wasn't home when he called then he would hunt her down.

I remember te AC broke an it was so hot my ma took me ta get ice cream an do a little window shopping. Then he came out of nowhere ravin like a lunatic an hit my ma again in front of everybody an since we lived in such a small town word spread and he was fired. He blamed my ma fer his misfortune. Every time sometin didn't go his way he would either beat her or throw a plate at her.

An as fer me all I was was a bastard. I meant less than te dirt. An within a year we had ta sell our house an go live out in te baiyou. Everyday my parents argued. They were never happy. I had began ta look forward to school ya know. Just ta get away fer a little while.

I came home an they were at it again. Dad had spent te food stamps on booze an my ma was tearing him a new one verbally fer tat so he hit her again an again, but my ma was stubborn. She aint back down easily. Every time he hit her which could just be fer takin to long ta open a can of beer she would just put a slab of ice on it, dust it wit powder, an was back to herself.

She didn't have time ta play wit me seeing as how she had ta deal wit my father all te time. Ya see I thought tat they would remember that I was here and try to pretend to be happy fer me but we were past that. By te time I was in sixth grade I had practically raised myself.

My dad had officially become an alcoholic an my mother a nervous mess. It was his birthday so my ma made him something special. Steak cooked just te way he liked it. He looked at it, threw it at a wall, an attacked. But this time I grabbed him and told him ta leave her alone. I never really thought to stand up for her before then.

He looked at me as if I was new before he began ta hit me in her place, but my ma didn't defend me. And so it was usual to come to school bruised. I just took it. It was an everyday thang for me ya know a morning where ya didn't almost get smothered ta death with a pillow was a miracle.

And my mother had a nervous breakdown followed closely by a heart attack and was hospitalized for a while leaving me alone with him and his punches. I tried ta fight back, but he was always stronger. So when I went ta school I never made up excuses I just avoided people. After getting slapped around I was just so tired. Tired or pretending that all was well.

But no one said anything about it. Teachers would shoot me sympathetic looks, but none would help. They just sat there and watched no better than my mother was. I had begun ta understand that no one really cared about me. I was just here."

"Did you ever run away?"

"No," Anna shook her head, "I was used to it. I know yer thanking why anyone would want to be in te house where you can get a beer bottle thrown at you for walking to loudly, but I don't know how ta explain it. My father he held a power over me that no one could. I was afraid of him. Damn right terrified, but I guess I thought if I ran he would hurt me more if I were caught and I was just too afraid to change things so I let it happen.

Eventually, my ma came back. She looked loads better since she was home and my father wasted no time going back to his usual routine and even though my mother would never stand up for me I couldn't just watch it happen to her. She was my best friend at a time. So I would jump on his back, he would back into a wall hard fisting my hair until he nearly yanked it out and I would either bite or jab what I could at him until my mom got away and he stilled.

Drinking gave him a terribly low endurance then at night he would come into my room and hit me with something hard. Normally a fire poker, but one time I got hit in the arm with a cast iron skillet before. That hurt so bad I took em all an through em in te swamps.

But tat was everyday life for me. It was my daily schedule. It was what I was used to and then one day I caught my mom sneaking medicine. She was trying to overdose herself to avoid my father. I told her doing that wasn't safe, but she wouldn't listen.

My mother drove into town for groceries, drowsy from intake, and had an accident. She went into a coma at the end of my eighth grade year. I couldn't help wishing I was her. My father was livid. And no not because she was hurt, but because she wouldn't be around to cook his food the way he liked, clean the way he liked, cut the grass the way he liked, etc.

Leaving me once again to deal with him. I had just started my Goth stage, which he hated, and had to take over everything my mother did. He was half between violent and sad about hurting the woman he 'loved'. He kept saying, 'Lynette, Lynette, I'm so sorry' for some reason, not that it changed anything.

Then te summer of tenth grade rolled around and he started looking at me differently. I didn't understand what that meant until he told me tat I was his new Lynette and he wanted sex so get on the bed.

"Forward much."

"Runs in te family. Anyway I did as told. I aint know what he wanted until he began to touch me through my clothes promising to kill me if I wasn't a virgin. So I just sat there. I expected him to hit me, but instead he caressed me softly. I didn't know what to make of it. I was confused.

He called me Lynette and told me how pretty I was and how well I filled out whatever tat meant. Then he asked if I knew what we were about to do. I said no so he popped in a movie and had me watch. All I knew was that I didn't even want him ta hit me much less be inside of me so I panicked and tried to run. He reached out to pull me back by the arm and then it happened."

"It?"

"I felt him inside of me. Mentally. I could hear his thoughts as if he were yelling them at me while he was in pain. I removed my hand and ran for my room. What had happened then I didn't quite understand. However, I did understand that I wouldn't allow him to touch me ever again.

At first he tried to be polite. He actually cooked for me for a few days, brought me sunflowers which I hate, took me ta see my first movie on te big screen, he even asked about school all without hitting, drinking, or yelling at me once until he realized I wouldn't just hand myself over ta him so he decided to be sly about it.

He knew I couldn't be touched directly, but with gloves on … he went about hitting me until I was too weak to fight back so he could do as he pleased wit me. And I was weak. My legs were shakin, I could barely move from him, but I refused. I reached the seasonings that my mom always kept in the bottom drawers, pulled out the cayenne. Waited for him to get close and let him have it.

While he was rubbing his eyes I touched him. Tied him up and drug him to his room waiting for him to wake up with his thoughts in my head. Most were uncomfortable. Him imagining different ways to take me as well as hurt me and if I was good enough he might find a way to get rid of my ma so that he could have children that were biologically his with me so that he could be happy again, but I wasn't about ta let that happen.

You see Amanda this is where you an me differ. When he woke up and realized he was trapped I was sitting on top of him smirking. I wanted him to suffer. That's all that was on my mind. Revenge. Every morning for a week I would wake him up with a pillow smoother and a few punches across the face, leave 'em locked in his room without food so he could feel what it was like, come home and hit him again with anything I could find plates a hot poker etc.

On the last day of the two weeks I was so happy to have the power for once that I went out and purchased a little cast iron skillet, heated it up, and hit his feet with it to crush the bones as well as his hands.

Ya see I wanted to hear him scream. I wanted to know that he felt it. That he felt what it was like to be weak, to be me, and now that I was the stronger I was having a ball. He told me, 'So you really are my daughter' with a sarcastic snort. Then he said 'Go head call te cops. When I get outta jail I'll hunt you down.'

So I said, 'Wat makes ya thank tat I'll call te cops?'

The look or fear mixed with surprise made me elated, 'You wouldn't kill me would you? I raised you! You should be happy that I let you stay in my house at all Lynette!'

'Anna,' I reminded him pulling out his own pistol, 'You used ta joke an say tat you would kill ma an me wit tis.'

'Your mother could have stopped me you know! If you're going to kill me kill her too!'

I shook my head stepping back a few feet, 'Ma's in a coma, I'm leavin, and you just died in a house fire started by too much booze accidently fallin on an exposed wire while you were asleep.'

'Thought this through you little bitch' He leered at me, 'we both know you can't do it'

So I dragged him to te living room sat him on te couch, went to get my belongings, took a blunt knife to the tv cord, turned it on to an appropriate station with him on the couch. Then I looked for what was left of the beer and tossed it about especially on the wire which did start a small fire that would soon spread.

'So where to from here? With your mother' he asked struggling to get lose.

'You an ma are dead ta me.' I told him that an shot him in the shoulder, then the other, then his legs, and finally I had to choose. The heart or the brain? As much as a bullet to the chest would be payback I aimed my gun at his head. After all the disgusting thoughts I experienced from him first hand I was more than ready to end it.

'You should know Anna,' he started again, 'That if your mother would have told me who your father was that all of this could be avoided. I begged, no demanded an answer, but she told me that she loved him and that was why she couldn't.

I asked her if she ever loved me and she said no. She said that she settled for me. That all I was was a paycheck to 'er. She got to stay at home and have tryst while I was hard at work for us. She said that your father was just a man she bumped into by chance.

She told me the week she spent with him meant more to her than the five years we spent as a family and she said that she was searching for your real father now that I knew her little secret and when she found him she was divorcing me and taking you with her to be with him and that's why I hit her.

I was a good man. You knew that. She ruined this family. She ruined me and you.'

So I asked, 'Is this an apology?'

He shook his head, 'No, but I will say that I loved you both at one time. Never forget that.'

'As I'll never forget what ya did ta me' And I pulled the trigger. I didn't care that there was blood on my face, or that the house was getting very dangerous. I was finally free. I had read online that people who do what I did feel regret, but I felt none. Am I a worse person because of it?" Anna finished looking at Amanda's mouth that was hanging wide enough to catch flies.

"I feel sorry for what happened to you, but you actually did it! I hated Teddy after what he did to me, but enough to pull the trigger!"

"Teddy treated you like a princess. My life was far from it."

"So how did you end up here?"

"I stopped ta get gas in Memphis when Logan an te Professor pulled up in a limo wantin ta talk bout me."

"Do they know?"

"Only te Professor."

Amanda turned to face her fully, "I used to think that what I went through was the worst thing that could possibly happen and then I talk to you and well I want to say I'm sorry, but you don't look like the accepting pity type I would know." She offered a weak smile obviously spooked about the murder she wrote bit, "When your father began to look at you like that how did it make you …"

"Feel?"

"Yes."

"Wrong, dirty, an it felt like he was trapping me all over again. Felt like there was no place left for me. I felt like if I let him dominate me in tat way tat I would lose myself completely. And when he looked at me I felt …"

"Sick?"

"Worse."

The girls prattled on as Remy sat there on the floor dumbfounded. He never knew that the girl had to live through so much and felt guilty. She had saved his life and here he was sullying her clothes because he was tired of hearing her tell him to behave.

He didn't know why but the story touched him. The Heshe had turned into a vulnerable child right before his eyes not much different than the girl he saved on the lake.

"Do you regret it now?" Amanda asked.

"Killing him? No."

"And do you have nightmares? I mean weren't you terrified afterwards? The sight of my own shadow could send me into hysterics and …"

"Lots of nightmares," Anna interrupted, "They happen less and less now. When I first got here every time someone raised their hand near me I would wince, run, or flinch. In my head I knew they wouldn't do tat, but my body wouldn't listen. Sometimes I still flinch."

"You said when you you know with your dad that you felt free. You don't seem very liberated."

"I'll change that soon enough," she heard the sound of wheels approaching the door; "I know tat yer scared of me now. I know you weren't expectin ta hear all tat I said and I coulda smoothed over te truth, but it was nice ta vent on someone fer a change. Not many people talk to me and I assume you'll be one of those too. I know you're afraid of me for what I did despite what he did to me and I understand tat. Do yerself a favor an try ta move on, make friends, don't wallow in self-pity, in short live. You want ta be free of this don't you? Then win by getting over this an him. Or else you'll be alone an miserable for te rest of your life."

Before Amanda could so much as mouth a word the Professor rolled in ushering her to lunch. He asked Anna to do the same, but she refused. Kurt would bring her up a plate and regale her about his daily adventures like always.

…

"How did it go?" he asked.

"I didn't expect to," she looked at the old man, "She doesn't scare you?"

"Have you heard that even the most frightening animals are more afraid of you than you are of them?"

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that I pose more danger to you than she does. I know that this sounds weird, but she has been through an ordeal. She did what she had to to get away and for what? To spend the rest of her life alone."

"But she told me not to be alone."

"I believe what she meant for you was to not end up like her."

Amanda digested the information, "So why is she alone?"

"I'm afraid that you'll find that out soon enough."

"Professor," she stopped walking, "Do you think there will ever be a day when what happened doesn't affect me or her?"

"Yes I do, but from what I saw in her mind when we first met I offered to erase the memories from her."

"You can do that?"

He nodded, "But she refused. She said that she wanted to remember where she came from."

"Why?"

"She said that it wouldn't matter. Forgetting her past would not make her present any brighter."

"She's stronger than she gives herself credit for then," Amanda praised, "If you offered me that I would have said get rid of those memories in a heartbeat."

"Does that mean you want me to …"

"No Professor," she smiled, "I need to learn to deal with my own demons."

"Very well." He nodded approvingly, "I believe for lunch Kitty cooked which is why I ordered pizza for everyone."

"Good, I love pizza."

…

Alone again she thought about her powers which both saved her from her dad and alienated her from mutant kind when she felt something nudge against her hand. She looked down to see her good for nothing dog trying to comfort her by licking her arm. She reached down to pet it slowly. Normally it didn't like being treated like a dog, but right now it was inclined to and made her day just the tiniest bit brighter.

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[THIS CHPT IS TO HELP EVERYONE GET AN UNDERSTANDING OF HER PAST AS WELL AS INTRODUCE AMANDA AND SHOW A SHIFT IN THEIR RELATIONSHIP. THANK YOU FOR READING]


	5. Chapter 5

**DOG DAYS **

**.**

From his cage he heard the Goth's half muffled screams the evening following her conversation with the healer furthering his guilt. She saved his life and he did nothing to act as such, but that was to be expected. Just because JeanLuc gave him a home, a family, a job, and an education didn't mean he loved the man. He liked JeanLuc as another person, but never felt the fatherly bond that should have been.

Alone with only her wailing to fill the darkness a thought came to him. Had he deserved to be turned into a dog? A few months ago he would have readily accused a lesser man of cursing him out of spite and yet as he used his teeth to chase away stray flees he believed that he did deserve this.

Why? For starters he was never grateful. You could save his life one day and he'd betray you the next. He was vain. He always believed that he was the most handsome thing on the planet second only to a pile of money deep enough to jump in. He was callous never treating anyone as an equal from the man who raised him to the whores that serviced him. He was self-centered for behind every thought rested me, myself, and I's. And you could go even so far as to say a bully for harassing a girl who was already on her last leg.

'So maybe being a dog wasn't so bad' he thought sarcastically. He had already planned the first thing he was going to do when he had his body back was one tell her that his name is Remy, two eat, and three go and find the woman that did this to him and give her a piece of his mind, but for now he had to settle with making her life better.

_**-D.D- **_

For once she looked forward to seeing the rays of sun beaming past her window to chase away her frightful dreams which, although unwelcomed, were expected. She knew picking at scabs allowed the blood to flow freely and now here she was in bed reaching for her hidden diary to write in again.

After a moment or two of scribbles she whistled for her dog to follow her so that she could let him outside to relieve his bowels while she did her morning workout in the sub levels. On her way back up sweaty with a towel on one shoulder she ran into Amanda and Kurt walking down the halls.

"Morning Rogue." Amanda's eyes brightened with the smile she shot the Goths way followed quickly by Kurt's greetings. A little taken aback by Amanda's behavior she only nodded in acknowledgement happy to have the few seconds to let her dog back in as a temporary distraction to collect herself.

Together they made for the kitchen for her normal breakfast consisting of bottled water, a granny smith, and if she really was hungry a piece of unsalted buttered toast. Removing the water from the fridge she made for the bowl of fruit on the counter when her dog jumped up and knocked them over.

Scolding him she made to pick up the apples when he quickly ran his tongue over each one to pull them behind himself. Not going to eat them now she glared at the mutt turning her eyes to Logan, "Mornin."

"Morning," he greeted taking his usual spot with the Bayville Bugle, "guess you need something different to eat today hmm?"

"No I'll just wait till lunch." Her dog barked and shook his head, "What's your problem?" she asked it when it looked back at her intently.

"He's right you know," Logan flipped a page, "You shouldn't skip breakfast."

"I've done it before and I'm perfectly fine."

He gave her a look saying he believed otherwise when her dog grabbed at her sweatpants urging her to the fridge. "So you want me to eat breakfast?" she asked it when it shook its head yes.

"So wait you can understand me?" she asked. Logan looked past her at the dog that shook its head yes. Curious, "So is my name Rogue?" It shook yes. "Do I eat apples every day." Yes. "Should I skip breakfast?" No.

"Well looks like your dog's smarter than it looks." Logan laughed.

Glaring between the two, "Fine I'll put on a pan of eggs. Does that please you Dog?" He nodded.

Kurt, making it into the kitchen then with Amanda in toe, saw Rogue reach for a skillet then ran to take it from her, "Mystique is zhat you?"

Rolling her eyes, "Kurt ya just saw me come up in te elevator."

"I did," he looked at her strangely, "But mein Rogue never ever ever eats real food for breakfast."

"True except that wonder mutt here thought to take the fate of my breakfast into his own paws." Said wonder mutt barked as if in agreement.

"Here let me cook," Amanda said, "I'm a great cook! My parents never wanted to let me but my Un …" she stopped herself freezing all her movement for a moment which didn't go amiss by anyone before she continued her task.

Rogue began to see her yank flower, eggs, butter, bacon, marmalade, and other things out of the fridge and was about to make her stop when she decided against it. Maybe cooking helped her forget. Quietly waiting to be fed till her stomach burst she looked at her dog. He seemed to be acting strangely and she hadn't quite figured out why yet.

"Yum like what's that smell?" Kitty asked near dancing in the kitchen with car keys jingling on her figure. The very sound of the metal spinning on the ring made Rogue dive out the kitchen window, the dog run off, and Kurt teleport away before Logan could even manage to stand from his chair.

"Like Logan if you're like not doing anything …"

"No."

"Like why not?" she pouted.

"The last time I asked you to do something you didn't."

Placing her hands on her slender hips, "You mean that befriend the freak thing with Rogue? I mean come on we all knew it wasn't going to like work out. I thought that was like punishment for crashing your bike."

"That was you!" He growled.

Ignoring that statement, "But how am I going to like learn how to drive without someone?"

Glaring through her hard enough that Amanda had to turn the temperature down on the biscuits cooking in the oven, "You want to learn how to drive then you'll have to learn how to be friends with Rogue because if she ain't driving with you then you're not driving at all."

Wanting to protest but too afraid Kitty placed the keys in her pocket making a show of getting a glass of milk while her mind deliberated what to do when she turned and bumped into Amanda glowering at her.

"You have some nerve picking on somebody with your skinny aerobic sized behind," she hissed holding a roller dangerously close to the phaser, "Maybe Rogue has been through an ordeal that you can't even imagine and is dealing with it the best way that she can! Maybe her being Goth is her way to forget about it! Maybe she wouldn't seem so freakish if people like you ever gave her a chance! You think you are so high and mighty but from here I see absolutely nothing worth looking at and the same goes for anyone who is willing to hate someone for absolutely no reason! That is why my ancestors …."

"Easy Oprah," Logan calmed her down, "You're giving the girl a heart attack." With everyone relaxed he asked Kitty, "how come you didn't ask anyone else to take you?"

"Because I like couldn't find anyone." She said safely hiding on the furthest chair from the healer. No later than she said that did the cabinets under the island opened and out crawled Jean and Scott.

"You were hiding from me again weren't you?" Kitty accused.

"Yes." Scott said at the same time Jean said, "No."

"Some friends you are … well now that you're out of hiding."

"No can do." Scott beamed.

"Yeah we heard what Logan said to you."

"Drat!"

"Alright everyone it's safe to come out!" Scott called. As Rogue crawled back through an open window Storm rose up from the bushes with green face pain on and her hair hidden underneath a foux bush helmet. Kurt teleported back, the Professor wheeled in for breakfast commenting on how delicious everything smelled followed shortly by Tabatha, Amara, Bobby, Dog, and everyone else worth mentioning.

"You ALL were hiding from me?" Kitty squealed and as they argued Rogue made her way to Amanda to thank her for what she said but Amanda just brushed her off saying that's what friends were for passing her the first done plate.

_**-D.D- **_

After all was asleep for the night he crawled out of the cage that she always left open for him making his way to her bed first pulling the covers over her shoulders and second lifting up the bottom right corner of her bed to find her 'hidden' diary.

Lucky for him the latest account was bookmarked with a pen. Nosing it open he used his paws to keep the pages down as he read:

_I can't believe I was so stupid to think just because I killed my father that the world would be easier; that I would be free. I remember after I did it how happy I was. How every star seemed to shine brighter and how I could almost taste the morning air and when the Professor offered me a place her in the hopes to teach me how to control my powers I thought I was in heaven, but I should have known little girls who kill their daddies go straight to hell and that's where I went. _

_Not a day goes by that I've wished I was someone else somewhere else since I came here. I would leave but where to? I left a bad situation into another once already. Who's to say that the next time won't be worse? I'm not afraid to admit the goods; Kurt and Logan and Storm and Mr. Xavier and Scott who I admire from afar, but it's just not enough. _

_Its kinda funny cause this time last year Jean wasn't dating Scott so he was all alone so I did what I thought would make him like me. I played sports and videogames with him. I read up on BMW's so I could fix his car when need be which actually became more helpful that I thought it would. I bought him season tickets on Christmas and chocolate on Valentines' Day back when I worked in the mall. I even took his side in most arguments even when I didn't agree with him and most importantly I listened to him. _

_But all he talked about besides the X-Men, track, and school was Jean. Jean this and Jean that and Jean's so this and that. I had bid my time patiently. Sure it hurt, but everyone needed someone to talk to. And then he said 'I wish I had someone like you who listens to me all the time.' _

_And me being the stupid person I am thought that what he actually meant to say was that he liked me so I confronted him about it when we were alone. He told me that he meant that I was something like his best friend nothing more and that he loved Jean. Jean who wouldn't even look at him until she noticed that I was interested! _

_Which I informed him of. I was hopping mad that day and after I calmed down a week or so later I thought everything would go back to normal and it did for a whole two days until Jean came back around. At first she might had did it to spite me but it was clear even to me that they were perfect for each other. _

_But best friend works two ways. I was willing to tell Scott about my past, but every time I stated it was 'oh I have to take Jean here' or 'I'm busy right now come back later' so we fell out. And then for no reason entirely I lost it. I just cried on his chest and asked him if just for one day would he pretend, no for one moment could he look at me like like I was Jean. _

_And he told me but I wasn't and that wouldn't be fair to either of us, but I persisted. I just wanted once to be held by someone. He saw how weak I was. How I was baring my soul, he looked taken aback and fled. He just left me there so I swore I would never love again which suits me just fine since I don't plan on living much longer._

_I'm just so fed up with this pen and book I'm writing in being my only company next to a dog who poops all over the place. I may never be appreciated here, but when I die I'll go to hell and there's so many sinners down there at least I won't spend the remains of my entirety alone! _

_So I figured April will do. The sixteenth when I turn eighteen I'll leave this place and everything I hate behind and I'll finally be free. I've already picked the place. I just need the how. Hanging seems so medieval and I hate needles. Perhaps swallowing poison will do or I can get rid of myself the way I killed my father? I bought a gun in case the fancy crossed my mind again now all I have to do is wait out this miserable winter and then I'll be free … free from everything _

_-Rogue _

April! That only left him what? Six months! Six! He had better get to work soon. And he'd admit if she thought going to hell was a good thing she has balls, not that that was something to be proud of. And maybe just maybe an idea to stop all this will pop up and if not he could just give the book to Logan for plan b.

**PLEASE REVIEW **

**Fabulous Fever: All in good time **

**tfobmv18: Thanks and I wrote this chapter I think four different ways thinking 'there's something missing' and then I read your review and it was like turning a light bulb on in my head so thank you :] **

**ChereBelleRogue: I know it is sad, but I felt like I needed her to identify with someone kind of you know? And thanks for reviewing. **

**xLadyxAmbrousiusx: Thanks. I'm glad you like it. **

**Raven34link: Yup, Remy's getting there. My inspiration for this story is Beauty and the Beast. Mans gotta learn his lesson before he can go back to normal. And thanks for reviewing on this and other stories **

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	6. Chapter 6

**DOG DAYS **

**. **

"Alone can't last. Of this much he was certain." But he was just a dog. What could he do? The thought kept him awake that night. Or was it the leftovers?

He wished he could laugh in the darkness broke only by the waning moon. Just the sound, just to hear it and remember what he himself sounded like would be reassuring. Remy just wanted to laugh at himself. He gave a damn about no one, but she made him want to be a better dog? Person?

Whatever he classified as now he knew that he wasn't the same Remy he was before. Pushing his thoughts from himself he decided to focus on what he can do instead of what he can't do. His plans traveled along the lines of following her everywhere, walking her to and from school, and every time she looked sad he would do something to take her mind off the depressing thoughts for a while.

Hopefully that would work.

**.**

Anna didn't claim to understand it but somehow her mutt became a dog. Her walks to school didn't seem as long when he tagged along. In fact they were almost pleasant. She would rant to her dog and he would look at her with big goofy red eyes with an intent behind them that made her feel not so alone.

Today's topic of choice as he licked the snow off of anything that his tongue could find was Christmas. "Should I get them all presents," Rogue asked, "Or just the ones I care for?"

Her dog stopped to bark at the first then shake his no to the second. For a moment she thought about it as she kicked the snow with her boot.

"Kurt used ta botah me all te time an now," she stated standing still, "he doesn't."

He barked in reply.

"I mean I don like Kurt like tat its just tat I … I … I miss havin someone around who can talk back to me."

Judging by her eyes following the length of the floor he knew it was time to intervene. So he jumped on her hard enough that she stumbled back a foot or two before catching her footing.

"Damn yer heavy. No more table scraps fer you." She teased.

He barked.

"Let's go home before Logan gets his panties in a bunch."

The trek home took longer than usual. For some reason she was especially solemn during the holidays leaving him to try harder to either make her happy by doing a trick or pissed by well urinating on something so long as she wasn't sad he could deal.

"Logan sorry about being late," She said stomping out of her boots in the lobby, "Why are ya wearin a tie?"

"Cause I'm goin out."

"Out where?"

"Look we'll talk when I get back." Logan said rushing out of the door. Anna didn't like that he did that lately. He was her Kurt back up and now even he wasn't giving her the time of day. It made her feel so very very alone.

They had not made it up three stairs before Kurt appeared out of nowhere. Her face seemed a bit brighter as she saw him until he asked her, "So vhich one is better? I must look mein best for Amanda!" He held up two outfits.

One was a grey sweater with blue jeans while the other was a red shirt, blue jeans, and a sweater on top. The dog barked at the second so she agreed and he disappeared as quickly as he came.

"I guess they won't miss me as much when I'm gone ay?" she said to her dog as they headed up the rest of the stairs dodging Jean's floating decorations and Kitty's mad sprint to hide her wrapped gifts where no one would find them on the way to her room.

She tossed her book bag on her bed haphazardly joining it after kicking off her winter gear. Swinging her legs like a child off the edge of the bed, "Ya know it's kinda funny …"

Giving her the 'what is funny' look she replied, "Christmas used ta be my favorite holiday. My dad used ta dress up like ole Saint Nick and he would pick me up on my shoulders and ask me what I wanted for Christmas. And I'd say yer not Santa yer daddy and he would give a hearty laugh and say yes I am your daddy but today I'm Santa Claus and I would say I don't believe you and he would laugh and laugh.

And then we'd help mom bake and icing cookies. The buttercream gingerbreads were my favorite and my dad's too and then we would dunk them together in his tall glass of milk he bought at the piggly market. But that was just Christmas Eve.

The next day I would wake up and the whole house smelled like pine, a tree with mountains of preset for me underneath was suddenly there then I would pout and say I wanted to decorate the tree and my dad would tell me I was too small, but he saved the most important ornament of all for me, an angel for the top of the tree.

Then I would ask daddy why we have an angel when everyone else has a star and he would say because when he saw this in the store it reminded him of me then he would pick me up, hold me over the top, and then I'd place the star on top.

"Oo and then," she smiled thinking back to when she was so very young, "were the presents. I loved ripping the paper off! But dad thought I was a little too vicious with that part so he would help and we would sing Christmas songs and eat the yummy dinner ma cooked," her smile faded into a frown, "Back when I had a family that was. Every year after that our Christmas decoration was empty beer bottles and yelling."

He was confused. Didn't she hate her father? And here she was speaking so tender of him that for a moment he wished he met the guy before he died except for the fact that he knew the man was a bastard, but not always. How did a man go from spoiling her to wanting to rape her?

"I guess around tis time I kinda miss my family," she started again, "I could still find my ma. She aint dead …"

He nodded his head.

"But what are we gonna talk about? Oh I know Ma remember te time ya overdosed so tat ya could leave yer daughter alone with an unstable man? Or I know how about all the times I defended you and when I really needed you you were nowhere to be found."

**. **

She blinked the tears away, "Dog I guess I just … I just want ta have someone to love me ya know I feel so alone here all the time. Why couldn't someone just hold me in their arms and make me feel safe an loved like my daddy."

If only he could speak right now. Instead he offered her comfort rolling his round eyes in her direction while rubbing his head against her leg. She latched onto his comfort as if her life depended on it. Remy, knowing not what to do, simply continued his unyielding puppy-dog love antics until she calmed.

"I never regretted killin my father," she said staring into his big red eyes, "But I do regret killing my dad."

Wagging his tail he had to find a way to distract her from the sads. Lying on his back with his paws each extended to the air he gave his most, in his opinion, adorable pose. Rolling her eyes she made for the fur on his underside rubbing him until she spoke again, "Ya know yer a good listener."

He nodded. Of course he was a good listener. It wasn't like he had anything better to do beside help his mistress at least want to live no matter the cost as well as solving the puzzle he called Rogue. When he first saw her he thought she a man in drag with a piss poor attitude whom lady demon clothes reeked of the words 'fuck off'.

A little further in his opinion changed seldom. In fact she had become something of an annoyance. Always yelling at him to do this and that as if he were a dog. Irony aside he still hated her until he began to see with the eyes of a dog and not those of a gambit.

The girl was suffering soul deep. In fact he was positive if you cut her she'd bleed the tears that she refused to let pour out of her eyes. He couldn't just do anything about it. He had changed. She … well she was a different story.

One moment she waves Kurt off, the next she shares a moment with Amanda, then she writes suicide plans in a diary, followed by ironically telling Amanda to live, then misses Kurt, and here it was a week from Christmas and she was talking about missing the man she killed. Just thinking all that made his small brain hurt so hers must be in an ocean of confusion.

"I know it's early but I'm popped," she rolled under her covers so he made his way towards the cage when she called to him, "Hey would ya like ta sleep up here?"

And miss the hard plastic he was sleeping on? Jumping on his bed in his excitement he bumped her a little as he settled in. After a few choice words about him she pulled her cover over her and the comforter over him giving one last sad look before she drifted into her dreams.


	7. Chapter 7

**DOG DAYS 7 **

**. **

"We should tell the others." Storm said climbing off of Logan.

Wiping the sweat from his brow, "We already talked about this."

"I know you said it would be easier, but Logan I hate sneaking to be with you. Our relationship is nothing to be ashamed of."

"I agree."

"Then we should bring it to light."

"No."

"And why not?"

Logan turned over to look at her, "Rogue."

"I didn't know you liked her like that."

"I don't," he snapped, "It's just she needs somebody in her life and if everyone knows about us then she will feel like I abandoned her."

"And ignoring her to run off with me is not abandoning?"

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about," he rested his upper body on an arm, "We need to slow down a bit. Just, you know, a few less dinners."

"And less sex?"

He looked like it hurt him to say but, "Less of that too."

She folded her arms across her chest like a spoiled brat, "I care for the girl too, but why should I sacrifice my happiness for hers when even when you weren't dating me she was still unhappy."

"Something's different this time," he shrugged, "I don't know what it is, but I don't like it."

"Night Logan." She yanked all the cover over her.

**. **

"Logan's takin me to a dive on his bike Dog," she addressed him on her haunches, "Which is why you have to stay home."

Her pet began to protest in loud whines.

"I know I know I'll miss ya too but I'll be back." She said fastening the strap of her motorcycle helmet on. He followed her to the driveway watching as the two took off. Outside with him was Storm and from what he heard before Rogue came out they were having an argument, he didn't get words, but he did get the gist that Storm is mad. Or is that just because of the scowl she has on her face?

"What makes her so special?" Storm hissed glaring down at him as if he was the cause of her anger, "All she does is mope about and she gets all of Logan's attention. Am I being selfish?"

He shook his head yes when her eyes began to glaze over causing him to shake instead of nod.

"I know that the girl has had a hard life, but what about me? She isn't the only one with problems! I mean look at me I am Storm of the X-Men, Oruro Monroe foreign diplomat, goddess of her people, High Priestess of Nut, and sole protector of Africa and if that weren't enough soon to be mother. Not that Logan knows all that. Let that little piece of information stay between you and me."

Ever felt like you heard too much? Then again maybe being left behind was a good idea. Storm may pose a threat to Rogue. She didn't seem to be her rational calm self. In fact, her emotions held true to her mutant name raging from one extreme to another without rhyme or reason.

"I hope I have a daughter so that he can dote on her day and night like he does with Rogue." She ranted flying off no doubt to spy on them.

With her gone he fell to the ground. Logan was just starting to make time for Rogue and with the baby on the way that was bound to complicate things. And hoping for Amanda and Kurt to break up was like betting on the Bengals getting in to the next super bowl.

Frustrated he made his way back inside. Maybe an idea would come into his head once he had a look around.

**D.D **

The New Year came with many things, no more paycheck cuts, resolutions, but most importantly for Rogue was the quality time she spent with Logan. She was even beginning to think that Logan was family. Flip the rest. She didn't need them! So long as she had Logan around.

Coming back from yet another outing she took off her helmet continuing the debate they had earlier, "Te best part was." But before she could continue or Logan could reject her words Storm cut in demanding to speak with Logan immediately alone. Taking the hint Rogue left to her room to find her trusty dog waiting for her in bed as always.

"Something the matter your highness?"

"Logan I've been meaning to tell you for a while now."

"Tell me what?"

"Logan," she paused, "I'm with child."

"Whose child?"

"Your child!" she snapped punctuating her words with a crack of thunder.

Visibly paling, "You mean my child like … like I'm going to be a father type of thing."

"There is no other type now is there?"

"So that's why you're acting all …"

"ALL WHAT!" she hissed this time shaking the property.

"All moody." He said in a somewhat small voice.

She glared at him before tears filled her eyes, "I've tried to be calm but I … I."

"Come here," he pulled her into his arms, "Will figure it out."

**D.D **

By February all Logan could talk about was the baby which didn't bother her that much except it was twenty four seven and when he wasn't talking about it Storm made it a point to take Logan away every time they were alone with each other.

At present they were all in the living room discussing possible baby names.

"I think Nala would be like so cute or Serabi."

Rolling her eyes, "What? Did you just come down from watching the Lion King?"

"So what Jean I LOVE that movie!"

"I zhink Joan like Joan of Arc and Peter vould make beautiful names."

"I always liked floral names like Lily or Chrysanthemum for a girl and the only guy name I can think of is Kurt," she blushed, "But that might not be any use to you."

"Whatever name you choose shall be fine," The Professor smiled, "But if you chose Charles I won't be heartbroken."

"And what would you chose Stripes?" Logan asked.

"I don't know," she shrugged, "I can't even conceive so I aint even entertain te idea of havin kids." Ok that was a moment ender Remy thought as he snuggled into Rogue's touch.

"That was like so totally rude Rogue. You could have at least made something up." Kitty chastised.

"It was my fault half-pint for asking her in the first place knowing her … condition."

"Still Kitty has a point." Storm always sided against her these days.

"Then I'm sorry," Rogue said briskly, "How about Hugh fer a guy and Mary for a girl."

"Why those names?" The Professor asked.

"I'll admit Hugh came off te top of my head, but I like Mary because it is a name that stands for innocence."

Long after their discussion Rogue was in the garage tuning her bike up. Something she did alone now that Logan was occupied. As she finished rechecking the oil gauge she realized she wasn't alone. Turning she saw her dog holding up the next tool she planned on using. A pattern which continued until she believed she was done and headed inside promising her dog a juicy biscuit on the morn.

And as she began to climb the foyer stairs she heard another noise. The sound of boots clicking on a marble floor. Turning she wasn't at all surprised to see Logan behind her.

"Patrolin?" she asked.

Shaking his head, "Shade's turn … and I wanted to ask you something."

"Ask me what?"

"Would you consider being my child's godmother?"

"What!"

"You see I got to thinking that this way you can still be a mom and we'll officially be family."

But before she could answer lightning struck so to speak. "Logan how can you ask her without asking me first?"

"She's my child too."

"Yes and before you go there I believe that Rogue is a responsible girl and that she has done well considering her past but there is a lot she can do due to her powers and I don't want her accidently draining our baby someday."

"That's ok," Rogue said climbing back up the stairs, "Who needs family anyway and ya know I wasn't planning on stayin here long anyway … college and stuff." She near ran for her room.

**D.D **

She had been silent these past days. Never once did she bother to venture from her room. Instead she took to blankly staring at the ceiling from her bed. Sure she pet him when he came near but she seemed to do it aloofly as if by second nature. Not out of love as she had once done.

Knowing this would not do he fled for Kurt's room. The elf was inside with Amanda making out until he barked to get their attention. Four barks later they pulled apart Amanda blushing and Kurt shooing him away, but he would not leave.

Looking about the room he spotted a purple clutch that he knew would get them to chase him. In one fluid motion he grabbed the handbag and made a break for it. The two chased him to Rogue's room where he dropped the purse on the bed next to her and seeing the distress his pseudo sister was in he cheerily demanded to take her to dinner immediately.

Rogue looked from him to Amanda then made to get properly dressed for her outing. Half an hour later he was watching them leave through a window. That was bound to cheer her up. Now all he had to do was try to bring the others into her life.

And he had an ace up his sleeve for that. With her gone he made for the 'hidden' diary place set to bring it to Logan to guilt him into forever wanting to keep her company only to find that it wasn't there. "Damn she must had moved it when I was relieving myself." He thought.

Not one to be deterred he searched the room still coming up with nothing. Plan B was to simply grab an item of hers and take it to Logan.

[BARK]

"Hey mutt," Logan addressed them glad for a distraction from Storm. Sure he loved the wind rider, but just because she was pregnant didn't mean they had to spend every moment with each other. Storm had officially moved into his room weeks ago so there was no privacy there.

During their days when he wanted to work on man stuff she would drag him to the store to look for baby items at least six hours a day. Then after that she insisted upon them eating every meal together, bathing together, and since she couldn't go on missions she begged the Professor enough to prohibit his crusade days too.

And if that wasn't enough she clung to him when they walked through the halls as if she expected someone to steal him away when she wasn't looking. Heck they bathed together, per her request, and when he took a dump she always waited right outside of the door.

Noticing the green shirt the dog dropped at his feet, "Yeah I miss her too," he rubbed the dog's head, "Maybe Stripes and me will hang out tomorrow."

"Can't," Storm said from behind her gardening magazine, "We have a doctor's appointment tomorrow."

"Well it's not going to be all day is it?"

"I also signed us up for Baby and Me classes."

Groaning, "Well there should still be enough time for one."

"Then we have to go shopping for me today. I refuse to stretch out my beautiful clothes."

"Shouldn't you take one of the girls for that?"

"I value your opinion more."

"You know Oruro I'm starting to suspect that you just don't want me spending any time with Stripes."

"You finally got that did you dumbass." Remy thought mentally as Storm closed the book.

"Logan we are having a baby. A family. And I know Rogue is like a daughter to you, but that's the problem. She's _like_ a daughter. She isn't yours and will never be. And face it Logan Rogue is to grown for you even to hope to make an impression on her. It is time you focus on us. We," she gestured to her stomach, "Are your family."

"So is Sabertooth."

"What was that!"

"Nothing."

Sighing heavily, "Logan give it up if she wanted a family she would have stayed with hers. But we need you. I need you. The baby needs you. And it is about time you decide who is more important. Us or some girl we just took in a year ago."

**D.D **

"And that was when … no you tell it Bluebie!"

"But Cocoa Bear you tell it better zhan I."

"Well if you insist …"

"So I vas like vhere are zhe marshmallows." Kurt started anyway.

"And I was like they're gone."

"So I cried."

"He really did too like a big baby."

"Elephant tears."

"Then I."

"No Cocoa Bear I vant to tell it."

"Ok."

"Then she."

"I pulled a bag of marshmallow from behind my back."

In unison, "And then we."

"I," Kurt did his solo part, "Hugged her and said how much I loved her."

"And he," Amanda picked back up, "Said I was the cocoa in his hot chocolate." She giggled.

Discreetly glancing at her watch she couldn't believe that had only been here ten minutes! Ten. On the inside she was panicking. One more lovey dovey story and she might have to hasten her suicide plans. Death by dessert didn't sound bad at all.

Thankfully the waiter had come back with their drinks and menus. Nearly snatching it from his hand rogue made a show of reading each one mentally to take time away from their I love you no I love you chatter.

"I'll take te hamburger." She finally said. The waiter wrote her order down.

"Vhat do you vant?" Kurt asked.

"No you go first."

"But I asked first."

"Ok Bluebie," she giggled, "I want the angel hair pasta with …"

"Chicken instead of shrimp?" Kurt asked.

"How did you know?"

"That's vhat I vanted too!"

"Really?"

"Ja."

"Let's share."

"One pasta with chicken please."

As Rogue sat through this dinner it reminded her somewhat of why she wanted to die. She would never have this. She would never know the touch of another, she would never move on, and if she did fall in love and it was reciprocated she couldn't reproduce because she couldn't touch people.

In all honesty she felt like one of those people who read a new acronym online and don't know what it means but everyone else does. She didn't like feeling left out. Ever since she was little she tried to find a place she belonged. A home. But that wasn't meant to be.

At home she was tortured. At school she was always ignored, no not really ignored, people always talked about her. They mocked how pale she was, her hair, her height, her tomboyness, her love of literature, her makeup, her clothes, her awkwardness, her everything. In fact there wasn't any part of her that people seemed to like and when she was a mutant the first person besides a teacher in high school that talked to her called her a freak.

Not that he needed to since her locker had the word spray painted into it. At the time she just couldn't understand why her? Why should she have to go through this? She never told nobody this but she really didn't believe in god. If he cared so much then why make her imperfect then slam on being a mutant to make things worse?

And after being pushed around school, lunch getting knocked out of her hands, being picked on, verbally and every once in a while physically assaulted, she still considered it a pariah compared to being at home with her father. She had wanted so badly for things to go back to normal. She wanted both of her parents to love her and she them. Rogue knew I was a childish dream, but it was what she wanted most. If all was well there then she would at least have one place where she was wanted, but that just couldn't happen.

She had to kill her father. She had to. There was no way around it. It was either that or be hiss fuck toy until he died and she didn't want that. And secretly she did love her father more than her mother. He was her favorite parent. She was a daddy's girl and enjoyed being with him when she was little. It tore her up inside to kill him. If he would have apologized and meant it then she would have broken down and ran to him, but once again nothing ever works out the way Rogue wants it.

So she fled and ended up with the X-Men where she once again didn't belong. It was like her old high school submerged in hell and she just wanted so badly to have what everyone else is having. Just a taste of happiness again, a taste of safety, just one day to be loved for who she was would be a dream come true. But, like everything else, it wouldn't' happen. She would die just as alone in life.

"You haven't touched your food." Amanda said.

She looked down at the plate reminded that she wasn't one hundred percent alone. Amanda and Kurt liked her not that she could tell anymore since they spent their time together sucking face, "Didn't realize it was there. Thanks."

"So vjat college are you going too?" Kurt asked.

"One that is … very hard to reach."

"Oh so you're going abroad?" Amanda asked.

Nodding, "Something like that."

…**. **

**A/N: So this chapter was a little rushed but I'm just trying to get yall to an understanding and speed up the clock so to speak. **


	8. Chapter 8

**DOG DAYS 8 **

**. **

It was an accident. Oh no she didn't plan it or what would happen next. The event was simple really. A girl getting out of her truck to buy groceries. A simple non-descript act that millions of us do every day. And as she made her way from the second parking space from the entryway a car, charger, yellow, much like that machine in the one movie, was speeding.

The driver didn't mean to hit her, well he did mean to run the obvious stop sign placed around the parking lot like house decoration. He already sped through three. One more couldn't hurt right? On his phone talking about what excuse he would feed his boss this year to attend the first baseball game of the season with his friend he barely noticed her until it was too late.

The moment he did though he dropped the phone grasping the steering wheel with both hands while applying the brakes. The road, slick from morning rain, did not offer enough traction. He knew it was too late and he would be sued for all he was worth and then some. Trying desperately to stop the car the girl in front of him was suddenly knocked out of the way.

Seeing that he hadn't hit her, the owner of the car sped off. He didn't really need those cheese puffs anyway. As he did so she couldn't help but turn to glare at the source of her rescue. Sitting not a foot away was her dog. Her stupid, loveable dog, who meant well. Rubbing her jaw she pointed back at the truck ordering him to sit in the back as he was told earlier.

Instead he continued to stare at her as if trying to convey a message. Bending down she tried to decipher the message but came up blank every time. Was he worried for her safety? Did he want a reward for saving her? Or was he simply in need of her constant presence? Sighing she dragged him back into the truck this time placing him on the inside where she could lock the doors.

As she left he barked at her. Ignoring him she went in search of dinner. Normally she ate very very little, but today she was kind of woozy. Chalking it up to her lack of calories she set forth on a mission to find something to eat that wouldn't leave a lot of left overs.

In the frozen aisle she reached for the thin-cuisine. Grabbing it she thought of what happened earlier and how mad she was to not get hit and more importantly how, during what she presumed would be her last moments, she felt no fear. That got her thinking about what lied ahead.

She knew after she graduated in May that she planned to do it. No thinking it didn't make it real. By the end of May she planned to die at the base of a tree. She loved trees. But she didn't want her body to be found and brought back here. Rogue had a feeling that even though the ones she cared for were occupied with relationships a part of them would miss her when she left.

But she couldn't have that. All the way home she was in thought. That's when a plan did begin to form. Her friends would never know she was dead. She already said she was going to college. All she had to do was pick a remote place, write letters making sure to leave careful instructions on what day and year they should be sent, and it would be as if she never left. Perhaps she should 'join' a sister hood where males were strictly forbidden.

Whatever the case she had to plan it out well and she had so little time. Rogue knew she needed them to believe that she was alive. The tricky part was how. As she worked out the details her mutt seemed to sense what she was doing and did his upmost to knock papers out of her hands, nibble on electrical cords, hide her writing materials, and on top of that distract her by making messes all over the mansion that she would have to clean up.

Sitting down with her dog on the last Tuesday of march she decided to have a conversation with him, "Ok I know ya can't talk back but I do know tat ya aint want me dead."

He nodded his head.

"But you don't understand. I need tis. I need to escape."

He shook his head.

"Look I understand tat since I'm yer owner tat yer all attached an I love tat bout you ,but everythang comes to an end."

He cocked his head to the side.

"I can't believe I'm talking to an animal," she looked up as if she knew she were mental before returning her gaze back to him, "Yer a dog. Ya don understand people."

He nodded his head.

"Yer wrong. People aint like you. Real people are lying bastards, killers, rapist, an in short jus plane assholes. I mean there are people out there whose sole intent is to make te lives of others miserable. There are people who hate, judge blindly. People who distinguish what you are as if yer not a part of te whole. I'm a person. I'm human. I have feelings but do they care? No! It's all me me me me me. If people would just take a few seconds out of their day to be nice ta people te world would be a better place. I guess its easier ta hate than ta love."

Remy looked at the floor guilty. Not too long ago he was one of those people she met and yes it was easier to judge others as if they were beneath you. It was easier to pretend that he was perfect than to admit that he was just human. It was easier to care about the self than the whole.

But Rogue wasn't like that.

To punctuate his thought he jumped up leaning against her body giving her face tons of sloppy dog kisses hoping to convey to her that he cared.

"But yer a dog," she continued once she managed to get him down, "Dogs are loyal no matter what. An yall love wit every part of yall beings inside an out. Dogs don't judge either. Once they're adopted they see their owner as something more. I guess they see their owner as someone who is their everything no matter if you yell at them, hit them, drag them, forget to feed them, forget to clean up after them, forget to walk them, or whatever. A dog is a miracle that despite what you do to it always waits for you to return home with a sloppy grin on its face.

An I love you you silly mutt despite yer numerous flaws, but I can't have a real conversation wit ya. I can't have a relationship wit ya. I can't build a future wit ya. An I can't feel perfectly loved and safe wit just you in my life whilst im surrounded by hate. It's like being in a sea of sharks tat smell my blood."

He made a noise half between a wine and a grunt.

"Don't give me those eyes. Kurt'll take good care of ya fer te rest of yer life which is like what six years an he'll care for you just like I have."

He shook his head no profusely. He didn't want Kurt looking after him. Why couldn't she see that she wasn't alone as long as she had him and that it was selfish to take herself away from him? Why couldn't she understand that he wanted no needed her to live? Why else save her life at the store the other day.

"But I promise I'll be a better owner until the end." She smiled at him.

**APRIL **

"Dad give it up," Bobby complained stomping his boots off in the mud room, "Tat damn dog aint comin back."

"We son't know that fer sure." Jimmy stated.

"Well aint no one reply to yer posters."

"True."

"Which is why we'll keep lookin." JeanLuc said simply.

He couldn't take no more of the dog searching. His daddy was all dog this and dog that and it was getting on his last nerves, "We'll never find 'em."

"How can you be certain." Jimmy asked hanging his coat on the hook.

Finally ready to confess, "I took em alright. I took tat damn dog an threw em in te river. There yall happy now?"

He was about to continue when JeanLuc punched him cross the face, "Tat dog was yall brother."

"I'm right here dad."

"Told ya Jim the old man's gone senile."

"I'm talkin bout yall other brother!"

"Who Remy?" Bobby asked.

"That's impossi … wait … that would explain the eyes," Jimmy thought about it, "And why the dog was always watching card games."

"So he can turn into a dog now?"

"He got cursed on my birthday ,but tat aint te point now tat ya killed him! It's hopeless! It would take four of each of yall ta equal one of him." He ranted to his liquor cabinet.

…

True to her word they spent a lot of time together. He got washed every other week in a warm scented bubble bath, brushed three times a day, walked every day, given treats, played with, and she even made him a juicy steak every Friday after school.

But his favorite time with her was when she would lay a blanket down on the grass, he would curl up next to her, and she would just talk. He suspected it was only he who knew that she was little Miss'Asippi when she was five, or that her grandfather, when he was alive, owned a ranch and would carry her on his lap as he rode Sienna, he might be the only one to know that the top three things that did in fact scare her, not that she ever showed it, was thunder, roaches, and overweight cats.

She also told him about Baby Blue her blankie that she actually still has till today and that, since she couldn't have a pet, she would take food out of trashcans to feed strays. She also told him of how she saved a girl who nearly died in a flash flood in '02.

She told him that her favorite dessert was frosted gingerbread men because she liked to see them smile back at her. And that her favorite super hero was Wonder Woman because she was strong and beautiful. He learned that her favorite movie was Beauty and the Beast, not because she got the prince, but because she was constantly surrounded by friends.

It was moments like these that he wished he were human to tell her his stories too. That he wished that he wasn't a dog, not just because he was one now, but because he wanted to speak from his human mouth the words that she needed to hear and what he wanted to say.

He wanted to tell her that she was stronger than what she thought. He wanted to tell her that the easy way out never worked out in the end, he knew that from personal experience. He wanted to tell her that she was the most invigorating, frustrating, brave woman he had ever met and that unlike so many he had had he would never forget her. Remy wanted to give life another chance even if she would spend it only with him, but as a dog he was limited.

Noticing some stray dandelions he stood, picking them up with his mouth, and brought them to her. She looked at him for a second before smiling and thanking him then blowing on the weed to make a wish. She held one out for him too but that didn't go as well as planned. Laughing at his attempts she said, "Make a wish an I'll blow it out fer you."

"I wish," he thought, "That this moment would last forever." So to extend it temporarily he grabbed a shoe and ran for the beach with her on his heels. It felt strange and oddly exciting to be the one chased as he dove around rocks and finally hit the sand. A second from jumping in the water she caught him.

Pulling him back she yanked her show from him and gave him a playful swat on the head. Following a 'bad dog' scolding she turned back to the mansion. With her back quickly fading he wished there was a way to communicate then he thought of the sand.

Ten barks later she turned around to see what he wanted. The damn dog didn't even move from where she yelled at him at. Stomping back she was ready to scold him again when she noticed the heart he drew in the sand. An emotion or five ghosted her eyes before she near ran from him.

MAY

"Merry part our past; merry meet our future. We the Bayville Hawks bid you farewell and plead that you do not forget what it is like to fly in our flock …" the underclassmen sang at graduation. It was nice for the kids to enjoy themselves. Ever since that mutie Apocolip or whatever showed up they had been constantly leaving on missions save for parents to be Logan and Storm.

Jean had received numerous academic as well as athletic awards topping out as valedictorian. Scott also held quite a few academic awards as well as one in drama for his role as Romeo in the winter play. Rogue had won quite a few literary awards as well as an acknowledgment for her college essays.

Remy, who walked there to attend, watched Rogue watch Jean run to her family afterwards embracing her father in a big hug. She also watched as Scott ran over to Alex and Corsair, their father who was thought to be dead but was found after he made a call for help at the pirate island he was held hostage on for the last ten years.

He then watched as her eyes moved to Logan. He could tell she was thinking _should I hug him_? _Is it ok to approach him_? Logan answered the question for her by leaving the bleachers to hug her. As he did he saw the happiness in her eyes, if for only a moment, maybe that meant that she wanted family again so bad she was willing to make Logan her surrogate dad.

The now showing storm that was recently found to be carrying a boy made her way out to join the two. Today she seemed in bright spirits but even he knew it wouldn't last long.

"And now that you have graduated where are you going to go?"

"Norway."

"I never heard of a Norway University." Logan tried to think if it was a lesser college.

"Not te school," she smiled brightly, "Te country."

"As in overseas." Anyone could tell Logan didn't like that idea, but he had never seen her so happy so thought against voicing his objections.

She nodded, "To a convent … don't look at me like tat … it's a school too … I said DON'T look at me like tat … and its actually ver good. It just requires that ya join a sisterhood."

"You never struck me as the religious type."

"Oh Logan I thought about my future an wat I can an cant do so this sounds like te only reasonable option!"

"I know what I said was mean Rogue," Storm cut in, "I was jealous that all Logan seemed to do was talk about you even while it was just the two of us and what I said … I was wrong. I shouldn't of said that to you. And I shouldn't have forced this baby situation on you knowing of your condition."

"Tat's ok Storm, I can guarantee that it wall all be water under te bridge soon enough."

Why was she smiling so hard? Storm looked at Logan seeing the same question in his eyes. Thinking this merited investigation at a later time, "How about we try and think the Norway thing over on the way to the restaurant."

"Which one?" Amanda asked running out there to give Rogue a purple pendant she bought her for graduation.

"Thanks Amanda."

"Open mine too!" Kurt persisted acting the part of a five year old child.

"It aint te same thang but blue is it?" she asked him.

"Vell it vas," he laughed, "But I changed it!"

Opening the box she saw a small book. On the inside were pictures of her brooding and him.

"See zhat vay you can never forget mine perfect face."

"Like it aint tat pretty." Kitty laughed joining them along with the others.

"So what restaurant?" Logan asked.

"The new French one downtown. I hear it's to die for." Jean said.

"How about the make your own pizza place in the mall." Scott said.

"Zhey have those?" His blue mouth was practically leaking.

Now normally Rogue didn't even bother with arguing but since it would soon be over anyway she thought she might as well enjoy her last week, "Actually I wanta go to Paluminos."

"Naturally no one agrees." The Professor sighed.

"I got the most awards we should go where I want." Jean insisted.

"I'm our best chance against Apocalypse so we should go where I want." Rogue said.

Naturally Logan drove everybody to where Rogue wanted to go minus the dog that had to stay attached to a tree outside. On the inside however Logan watched carefully as she ordered numerous things off the menu and devoured them as if her mouth had suddenly switched places with Kurt's. This, coming from the three apples a day girl, wasn't natural. By the time desert came around she was still going strong never once allowing her fork to enjoy the feel of the table linen.

…

Back at home in her bed she lied down. She couldn't wait to die. The excitement was enough to give her a burst of joy she hadn't felt since she was a fourth her height and she had worked everything out. She even took a long weekend to find the perfect spot to die. A tree not an hour away from her old home that was secluded.

A weekend later she came back to dig a hole and work on how she was going to die. She didn't want to poison herself. She didn't quite see losing her bowels as freedom. There was always the injection but getting one of those without no one noticing would be difficult. So eventually she decided to just shoot herself.

She had practiced with a dummy that she made her height and weight to see at what angle should she shoot to fall into the hole and the best part was by the time anyone found her it would be long over! And her few friends would think her safe and sound in Norway.

Rogue had already told Logan of her plans to leave early to help Sister Antoinette feed the homeless and how she wanted this so bad she would do anything for it so there was no way he could make her change her mind. This as well as all other details were carefully written in her diary which she stuck on her near ceiling reaching dresser as she walked past her dog.

Remy had found the book finally! Now to give it to Logan before it was too late! He couldn't wait for her to go to bed surprised when she locked him in his cage instead of letting him sleep on her bed as he always did.

The next day he awoke in the truck listening to her mutter something about getting all his vet work done so it wouldn't burden Kurt when she left him to him. At the vet he tried biting the doctor. How dare he think he could stick a thermometer up his ass!

"Sorry he's normally pleasant." She held him down, "Can we take his temperature another way?"

After many painful injections he thought about biting her, but thought better of it. She was just doing what was best. Another night in the cage he spent the following day at the dog salon which wasn't half bad. The young girl that cleaned him shirt was soggy, see-threw-able, and if he wasn't mistaken she wasn't wearing a bra. The rest of the week he was treated with pristine care.

**MEMORIAL DAY **

He was stirred from his sleep by someone rubbing his head. Giving a warning bark he awoke fully to see Rogue looking at him as if to engrave his every feature into his memory.

"I love you," she smiled at him, "You were my best friend and a part of me wishes that this could last forever. But nothing last forever. Not me. Not you. Definitely not me. Live long fer me 'k?" With that said she buttoned her coat and left.


	9. Chapter 9

**DOG DAYS 9 **

**. **

Shortly after she left a strange fog set in. Remy could almost feel it crawl across his skin until it seemed to resonate in one spot. The darkness pulled into the woman, no creature he saw that turned him into this. Her piercing eyes met his own.

"Why are you here?" he thought as he barked at her.

"I am here, yes I can read you as clear as an open book, because it has happened."

"Yes Rogue's going to kill herself so if you don't mind …"

She shook her head then laughed a sound wavering between a squawk and a scream, "Foolish human male I am here because you have finally learned a truth that many go their lives without knowing."

"You're a bitch?"

"The world does not encircle you."

"So all tis! Everythang you done was ta teach me a lesson!"

"Instead of anger ask yourself where would you be if lesson you learned not?"

"I'd be where I was!"

"And were you happy with where you were? Are you willing to sacrifice the present for the past? Does she mean so little to you?"

That stopped his next retort in his tracks. He had grown attached to her and even he had freely admitted to himself that she had changed him. That she made him better.

"I … don't regret it."

"Of that much I am sure," she smirked at him, "Yet ask yourself would you have ever gave her the time of day if you were your past self?"

"I would have."

Giving him a look that clearly said I don't believe you, "You would have not. Believe those words."

"Alright so I have learned my lesson. Will you turn me back now? I need to save her."

"Why?" the winged woman who cursed him asked.

"Why what?" he thought.

"Why won't you let her die?"

"Just save her!"

"She has had a hard life and she wants very much to discontinue the torture."

"But she shouldn't die."

"Why?"

"Because I don't want her to."

"Isn't that request," she cocked her head to the side, "selfish Remy."

"I'm not being selfish!"

"You witnessed how happy she was knowing the end was near. How could you take what she wants most from her?"

"You did it to me!"

"How so?"

"I'm a dog!"

"Remy Remy Remy," she sighed taking residence on Rogue's bed, "How can I take away a want that wasn't even wanted?"

"What does that mean?"

Mirth highlighted her gold eyes, "Come now. If I can turn you into a canine I can surely do much more. I studied you. I watched you. While others heard the cravings of your body I heard your soul and you know what it screamed?"

"I really want to kill you?"

She shook her head, "It screamed I'm lost. Find me."

"I knew where I was."

"In direction. In life you were lost. Should you be the thief your father raised you to be? Should you take Belladonna's offer and become an assassin? Should you waste the rest of your life on booze and women? Should you finish school? Should you marry? Have kids? Or should you try to be an average American working at a dead end job?"

Seeing that he had nothing to say she continued, "Your life had no purpose and without a purpose it had no means and without a means you had no reason for living. Then I came and made you a dog as you put it.

But you should thank me for now the arrow in your soul points to her instead of spinning in circles. She gave you purpose. She gave you reason. And now that you have that you know why it is that you live and what you wish to do with your life."

"If you can understand all that then help me out!"

"No."

"Non!"

"You are responsible for your own fate human or not," she looked at the clock, "When I leave time will continue to flow as it should. Use the time you have wisely or your next purpose will be one of sorrow."

Darkness enshrouded his vision then it all returned as it should. He could even hear her walking down the steps with her suitcases. Refusing to lose her he began ramming his cage again and again hoping to pop it lose bit it wouldn't give long after his brain began to hurt.

Pausing for breath he thought if he barked enough someone would come let him out. That plan might have worked if the X-MEN emergency alarm didn't go off. Listening he heard the team assemble. The brotherhood was causing mischief and they had to deal with it. Logan wanted to go, but Storm needed a ride to the hospital for another appointment.

Ceasing all noise he thought to himself, "It's over. She's gonna die an it will be my entire fault," when a second voice said, "No she wanted to die remember? Letting her finish what she started would actually be the right thing to do."

The moment those thoughts left his head his eyes grew big. How could even a part of him be so heartless? He couldn't give up. He wouldn't give up! She needed him or rather he needed her.

DD

Rogue sat in the airport somewhat elated. She couldn't believe that the day had come! She had wanted this so so very bad and now it was in reach! No more suffering! No more pain! No more being treated like she didn't matter! An end to an unhappy story!

A smile consumed her normally dark features as she heard the flight to Mississippi being called to border. As she headed that way she bleakly thought about the future. Not hers, but everyone else's. Since Logan seemed to have the life span of a vampire he would be fine and would live a long life with Storm and even longer with his son.

Jean and Scott would probably marry and take over once the Professor moved on and have a few kids of their own. Kurt and Amanda would marry and have a little Kurt Jr and Chrysanthemum. Kitty, since for some reason guys love her, would also find someone who would praise her like a goddess not that she deserved it. And more importantly her dog would be taken care of for the rest of his days. Funny she almost missed that dog more than the people she came to care for.

DD

Thanks to Storm being somewhat preoccupied with the toilet Logan got to go on a mission for once. Giddy as a child for chocolate he couldn't wait to beat up the baddies somewhat disappointed to find it was the Brotherhood. He didn't even have psycho Wanda to lift his spirits.

"Logan," Scott called, "Would you like to be in charge?"

On the inside he was doing a happy dance, but on the outside his scowl deepened, "Getting tired of being in charge Shades? Can't handle the pressure?"

Knowing that Logan really was happy, then again, "Well if you don't want too …"

"Take five Shades I got it. Team attack on sight."

"That's it?" disbelief was clear in his tone.

"You said take charge so I did."

Fifteen minutes later the Brotherhood lay unconscious on the ground. What they weren't ready for was Magneto who appeared with a new team he called Acolytes. Before them stood the six foot six Russian built like an army tank, a red head whose attitude was almost as hot as his fire, Mystique, and Sabertooth. And after fighting for a while the battle reached a new climax when Apocalypse decided to show.

DD

Thank the God he didn't believe in but would change that since apparently ladies who can turn you into dogs as punishment were real he burst out of the cage. Now on to the cabinet! It was high and heavy. His weight alone couldn't push it. He would have to ram both sides until he off centered it making it crash to the ground.

With much effort it finally started to shake. Thinking he needed it a slight bit lighter he knocked off what he could. A few books, a computer, pulled out the lower shelves, then went back at it. It worked like a charm except for the fact that the dresser fell on him and he was too weak and tired to move it. Rogue's diary sat like an open legged whore tempting him but a foot away.

DD

Only two hours to go and she would be there! Rogue couldn't believe it! So ecstatic was she that she started random conversation with her fellow passengers and even goaded someone into giving her alcohol although she was underage followed by her continuous need to go to the bathroom not to relieve herself, but just to pace a little to try to calm her inner happy dance.

DD

Apocalypse seemed to be looking for something and couldn't find it so decided to torment them instead knowing full well that no one was strong enough to defeat him.

"Logan," Kitty whined. She had been thrown hard hitting a building in a way that left her half limping, "This is like getting us nowhere!"

"What do you want!" Jean yelled at the mutant half resting on her knees. Her mental capacity far too drained to even put up a half decent shield.

With a grand gesture of his hand he answered, "As my pyramids were under construction an old man came to me bearing the message that after an eternal slumber the one that gives me strength shall also bring my downfall. The only way to defeat her would be to destroy her by means … unnatural to me."

"You vant Rogue!" Kurt realized from his spot on the ground.

"She won't come!" Kitty hissed, "Like she's halfway to Newfoundland now for college!"

"Don't tell him vhere she is at."

"Like why not Kurt! We are getting killed out here."

"I don't believe you." Apocalypse said before starting another round of torture.

DD

Finally escaping the depths of the porcelain throne she heard a whimper. Thinking Rogue forgot to let her dog out before she left she made haste upstairs to find the dog underneath a bookcase.

"Goddess!" she exclaimed using her wind to lift it off the dog. She thought it might be dead until it twitched a little. It tried to sit up right but realized its side hurt then came crashing back down.

"How did this happen?" She asked the dog.

Bit by bit the dog tried to crawl forward towards a book. Storm didn't understand why the dog tried to assault Rogue's diary. Perhaps it missed her? Paging Beast who was buried away in the sub layers making a prototype of some sort to come up here and carry the dog to the med bay for tending Remy tried desperately to convey his message. But failed giving into his weariness.


	10. Chapter 10

**DOG DAYS 10 **

**. **

Nearly four hours after their departure they returned. Logan, at present, was carrying Kitty who tried to fight the pain losing the battle only with her tear ducts. Following him was Scott carrying a completely exhausted Jean. Behind him Kurt held his side. The Professor not too far off unharmed in his wheel chair.

Logan made to sit Kitty in the first available bed when he saw Rogue's dog there. "What happened to the mutt?"

"A dresser collapsed on him."

"Is he going to die?"

"No." Beast answered, "A few sprains but …"

"Then move him. We need these."

"The Brotherhood beat you that badly?" Storm teased.

"Like … try … Apoco …" Kitty barley managed to say.

"Circe's little piglets!" she exclaimed.

Moving the dog aside "Lay her here."

Being moved around awoke Remy. Eyes searching wildly for a clock he saw it had been four hours. Four! She would be there by now. He may be too late. Looking around he saw that Storm at least thought to bring the book he was trying to get down here.

Standing, but still in pain, he made his way to the diary, picked it up, and walked over to Logan who was busy trying to help in any way he could. At first Logan ignored him until finally he couldn't even do that anymore and told him to scram so Remy bit his leg.

"You mutt!" He almost kicked the dog but thought of Rogue.

"He did seem to find that most important." Storm said.

Instead of the dog scurrying as he thought it would it opened the book with his nose and leafed through using his paw to indent a page and growled. Seeing how persistent he was Logan picked it up.

The book smelled of Rogue and judging by the handwriting this was her diary. He expected to find her secret crushes or some other girly thing but what he read instead nearly made him faint.

Storm had noticed him going pale. "Logan what's wrong …"

"Chuck can that bird still fly?"

"The jet has taken a beating. You'd have to move fast or it may give out on you. What is the matter?"

Dropping the book he ran. Remy could have cried at how happy he was. The Professor then wheeled to the book, picked it up, and read. What he found he didn't want to believe. No Rogue was at college. She was ok. She wasn't trying to kill herself. But with the proof on his lap he turned making his way for the slower X-Chopper.

"I'm so sorry I let you down Kid," Logan started as he took off in the jet cursing himself to hell. He had to make it. If he didn't …

**DD**

The drive followed by the walk out into the beginnings of the swamp wasn't a bad one. In fact she had enjoyed it. And finally here she was at the base of the tree she picked. In a nook she dug out the gun she placed. Yes finally today was the day.

No more worries, no more pain, no more hurt, no more suffering, no more solitude, no more not belonging, no more bad memories, and more importantly no more her.

She took the pistol in hand trying to categorize what her last moments would be like. How her left hand would feel nothing but the cold weight of steel, how the right hand would stir only from the warm breeze blowing by, how the last sight she would see would be this area, the last sound she would hear would be the ringing in her ears of the caliber, the last scent she would smell would be the jasmine scent of her air, warmth, the swamp, and the trees.

With a smile that rivaled even the brilliance of sunlight above her she held her gun to her head and pulled the trigger.

… 

**Author's Note: ****Sorry I didn't do this part last time and ps I know you guys "love" how I ended this chapter **

**Fabulous Fever: Well don't you have a keen eye! Yes I am wrapping this story up and although I love it I've got ten others that need be worked on and yes I agree I think the fast pace actually does work well here. Thanks for the review **

**Son of wind: Thanks for your colorful word choice in the chpt. 8 review. And yes I have to leave you with cliffhangers so that you'll come back hahahahaha **

**Raven34link: I did make Storm bitchy yes but she's not 'the' bitch. You see from Storm's point of view she is constantly second and never first for Logan despite knowing him since she was what fifteen? And having a romantic relationship with him. So I guess she's just really really hormonal and jealous. Thanks for the review **

**Raven34link: (hands ice over for head) hope you are ok! And thanks for reading **

**SazzaBirdy: Thanks for the review and compliment. I like to think that each of my stories are a little bit better written than the last if by a sligen so thanks **

**HoshiAkari59: You know I read your review and I was like I didn't write iceman tossing his brother in the river and then I was like oh yeah Remy's brother. Yep I had a slow moment there lol. Anyway Bobby is the eldest and despite the fact that he should be the best he's getting beat out by his not only younger but adopted brother. **

**Whitechocolate14: I wish she would too; thanks for the review **

**KaliAnn: I know I haven't been making it easy on him. Thanks for reviewing ! **

**Shego2009: Thank you! **

**Xxxwalflowerxxx: Just so you know I've already finished this story. I just like to wait for a few reviews before posting the next chapter so please do it again! Thanks **

**And as always please read and review thank you**


	11. Chapter 11

**DOG DAYS 11**

**. **

Everything happened as planned except for the pain. Bullets hurt right? Opening her eyes she still saw everything as it was. Perhaps she was a ghost now, but ghost weren't warm, they didn't need to breath, and they definitely didn't feel like someone was breathing behind them.

Turning her head she saw Logan behind her. He had tipped the gun up with his claws at the last second so the bullet would hit an unsuspecting bird and not her. His eyes looked the combination of livid and anguish.

For a moment the two stared at each other bearing their eyes as open books in the hopes that the other would understand why they were doing what they were doing at present. As green clashed with navy blue Rogue broke the connection pulling back while the gun was in her hands.

"Leave me alone Logan!"

"Rogue," he searched for the words to say. Normally Logan talked with his gut and not his brain. Nor did he talk to teens on the verge of suicide, "Please."

She shook her head, "I waited a long time fer tis an you an anyone else ya mighta came wit won't stop me!"

"I know you've been hurting kid …"

"No you don't know a damn thang Logan!"

"Then tell me." He spoke calmly. She was hysteric enough without him joining her.

She shook her head, "I didn't want ya to know. I never wanted you ta see me like tis! I wanted you ta thank I was happy so you could move on without me!"

"But I'm here now."

"I'll shoot you if I have to …" she said aiming her gun at him. He would heal if it came to that.

"You're not a killer kid."

"Yes I am!"

"No you're …"

"Ever wondered why I wasn't at home when you found me? Why I was all alone hmm?"

"Your parents weren't the best. Mine weren't either."

"No my parents were te worst," her voice mirrored the pent up rage she held in, "My ma abandoned me! An my dad put his hands on me one too many times …."

"You ran away from an abusive household."

She shook her head, "I didn't run away from no one. I killed him Logan. I beat him, tied him up, stood closer than I am to you, and I pulled te trigger, an if that wasn't bad enough I set the house on fire an I was happy about it! I killed him! I left cause livin in ashes aint exactly livin te dream!" she near laughed at the end, a painful laugh, but one none the less.

"You killed your father?" yes the question was stupid but he never thought any of the kids would be capable of taking a life no matter how cruel the enemy was to them.

"When I was younger he beat me an my mom, then just me again and again. You don't know wat its like waking up with a pillow over yer mouth every morning, you don't know wat it's like ta be chased around yer own home wit hot pokers and skillets, you don't know wat its like ta have someone who used ta love you beat you, ya don't know wat it's like fer one day yer dad goes ta hurtin ya to tryin ta get in yer pants, an you don't know wat it's like ta go to school just to escape and get treated unfairly there! No one cared if I came to school in te same clothes, or bruises, or whatever! And I'm sick of it! I am through being strong! Being te better person! I'm through pretending that there's a little rainbow at te end of my story!"

"Why didn't you ever tell anyone?"

"Tell who? No one gave a damn about me at te mansion! Oh yes I told te Professor I killed my dad aftah he tried ta rape me cause he wanted ta hear sometin …"

"Why not Kurt or me?"

"I adore Kurt like he was a brother ta me an he has such an innocent mind. I never wanted him ta know about me. I wanted him ta believe te worst thang out there was King Burger runnin out of Whoopers. An as fer you wat for? Storm bats her eyelashes at ya an I cease to exist!"

"Fair enough. But even you should see killing yourself might be a little much."

"Then give me one good reason why I should live?"

"Because I want you to."

"Not good enough!"

"Because deep down inside you're scared."

"I don't fear death." The look in her eyes told him as much.

"Because someday someone will come along and make life worthwhile."

"Oh so I'm supposed to prolong my torture for promises? Sorry but I've had too many broken ones in my life thank you."

"Rogue I will force you to stop if I have too."

"An I'll shoot you if I have to!"

"Is death really what you want?"

"Why ask te obvious."

"Rogue I've had terrible experiences in my life. If you told me in 1764 I'd someday be here helping you kids out I would have laughed at you."

"Thankfully I have forever to wait." She said sarcastically.

"Just put the gun down."

"Not until it falls out of my cold limp hands!"

"Rogue …"

"How did you find out anyway? I was sure I was careful."

"Your mutt near killed himself to give your diary to me."

Her eyes seemed to change for a second before they became dark again, "He's a good dog … sometimes."

"He cares."

"And he looks what? Four? He'll die soon enough. Then what?"

"What about Apocalypse? You'd abandon us all?"

"Honestly I've dreamed about most of those assholes dying more than a handful of times."

"You're hurting Rogue and you're not thinking clearly."

"For once in my life I am thankin clearly! Logan I loved my Daddy so much! I wanted nothing more than fer us ta be a family again fer years, but I had ta kill my Father despite te fact tat I loved him dearly! I loved him despite wat he tried ta do ta me! And despite how much I loved him I killed him! I left thankin I could finally start my life.

I find some mutants ta live with an they almost all hate me. They treat me like a freak. I thought I was moving on, but no matter how far I run from my past I still can't belong in te present! I can't have a home, I can't have a family, I can't have anything I want! When does Rogue get a turn ta be happy huh?

Then I realized some people are just meant ta be miserable. Even if I do decide to live then what? No one can love someone they can't touch! I can't have children or anything like tat. I'll grow up old and die alone!"

"I'll be there."

"Yeah that's reassuring." Her sarcasm was cutting.

He could talk to her later. Right now she wasn't focusing, "PUT IT DOWN."

"No!"

He charged, she shot, and when he hit the ground she turned the gun to her head, but before she could pull the trigger her hand bent away from herself toward the sky releasing the rest of the bullets. Slowly she stood then turned around unable to do what she wanted.

The Professor's sad eyes greeted her the moment Logan stood up perfectly healed.

"Thanks Chuck." Logan said rubbing his forehead. Her aim was quite impressive not that it was time to think that.

"Anytime Logan and where is the jet?"

Thinking back to him jumping out of it, "It's …"

"Nevermind. Let's just go home."

He released Rogue. She didn't move an inch until Logan grabbed her, but she planned this for far too long without a backup plan. Pulling out a knife she had hidden in her coat she slit her own throat. When Logan smelled blood he took her off his shoulder to the ground and as he touched her to force her to heal he couldn't help but notice the look of peace on her face. As much as he was happy to have succeeded today a part of him almost felt bad for doing it. Almost.

"Show me."

"Pardon?"

"Chuck show me Rogue's past. You can do that right?"

"She won't like that."

"Chuck she shot me."


	12. Chapter 12

**DOG DAYS 12 **

**. **

**DOG DAYS 12**

She awoke in the med bay surprised she wasn't strapped down and even more surprised to be alive. With a groan she sunk back onto the comfortable bed.

"Apocalypse," Beast walked over to her. He was informed of the situation and told that if he left her alone for a second Logan was going to reupholster the floors with his fur, "Seems to believe that you are the only one who can defeat him."

"He said that?"

"He did?"

"Damn it all," she turned away from him, "I want to talk to Logan."

"He's busy at the moment."

"Storm's got em shopping?"

"Something like that."

"Then tell him that I said that I'll play along and once Apocalypse is defeated it's up to me to decide what I want to do with my life without interruption."

"Of course."

"And Beast why is the pillow so warm?"

"Probably because your dog is on it."

Confused she turned to see her dog sleeping on top of her pillow. She wanted to be mad at him for doing what he did, but it showed he cared. That meant something to her. Even if he's a dog it didn't mean that he didn't have feelings or that he didn't understand. It just meant that there would be nothing more between them than master and mutt. Truly thankful for him she rubbed his fur noticing the sharp inhale he took.

"What's wrong boy?"

He opened his eyes then saw her. Remy could have cried. He reached up to lick her despite the pain. She hugged him tightly until he yelped and she loosened him.

"Looks like I'll be around for a bit longer." She said somberly in response the dog seemed to smile.

"Yer a jerk you know that?"

He rolled his eyes. She gave him a soft glare then tugged her pillow out from under his butt. Together they drifted back to sleep.

.

She awoke to the sound of a chair scratching the floor. Sitting up she saw Logan.

"Beast told me what you said."

"And?"

"You're right. If ," he couldn't bring himself to say it, "Makes you happy then who am I to argue with it."

"Why the change of heart?" she asked while thinking, "Yeah he's so going to change his mind later."

"More like a change of perspective."

"You don't have to sit here."

"Why do you always say that when we both know you want me too?"

"It's not what I want. It's what you want. I'm sure your bed is more comfortable."

"The Professor," he paused for a moment to pet the dog which in his opinion deserved a medal, "allowed me a glimpse into your mind."

Eyes wide, "oh?"

"You were right. I didn't know kid. I didn't understand. And I probably never will. But what I could understand is that you're a secret daddy's girl and what you did snapped something in you and that when you came here you tried to mentally make me your new father. But I let you down just like him."

"Yer nothing like him."

"I was like how he was. Those memories, the Professor showed me, are very clear. He says most people can barely remember before five years old and yet you remember your time with him perfectly."

"A civilized conversation is unlike you."

"Don't change the topic," he sighed, "Anyway look you'll always be my number one girl ok."

"Watever." She turned from him with a slight smile on her lips.

"If she's anything to go by Dog then fatherhood might literally kill me."

"I heard that!"

**DD **

The next day Apocalypse decided to pay them a visit. Everyone had to evacuate as the mansion crumbled above their heads. Kitty and Kurt had to evac the younger kids while the rest had to deal with Apocalypse at least long enough to hold him off.

As they fought Rogue could honestly not understand why anyone would think she could defeat him. Hell no one could. And he didn't mind tossing them back and forth. Not a single person managing to level a blow.

Thankfully Magneto bought his teams to help since for some reason they're all frenimies. As time passed they began to drop like flies. Many had yet to recover especially Jean who simply fell to the ground too tired to be any use today.

Pyro followed soon after. No propane plus no fire equaled easy target. After him Colossus was hit so hard you could literally hear his organic metal bones cracking as he was sent soaring. Scott blasted him but the shield the super mutant had wouldn't allow it to penetrate. Instead he moved at a speed unknown grabbed his head, crushed his goggles, and tossed him on top of Jean once again being careful not to hurt her.

Kitty and Kurt returned. Despite her limp Kitty tried to help. Tried being the operative word. He simply struck her across the face when she got close enough and as for Kurt, well when he was done with him he was using the Russian as a pillow.

After that was Sabertooth whose head on approach was useless and Logan. He simply put up a shield. His eyes filled with mirth as they tried to break through. As the mutant stood still Magneto took the beams from the fallen building and tossed them brutally at the mutant.

Rogue didn't appreciate the fact that Apocalypse thought he could just come here, taunt them, and have his way. Looking at all the passed out people she ran to them making sure to absorb what she could. After even Logan and Creed fell she touched them. Only her and Magneto stood not that she cared because a strange sensation hit her.

She felt like there was something inside of her that wanted to come out and she wasn't sure what it was. Horrified she looked as Apocalypse reflected a metal beam from Magneto that flew directly at her. She couldn't even move if she wanted to then she saw red. Not in anger but blood.

Her dog had taken the hit enough to save her. There was no way he could survive that. Anger boiled and then all she knew was an all-consuming anger and who to take it out on.

**DD**

Now that all the distractions were taken care of he could take Rogue away. Looking around he saw her looking down at a dead animal. But when she looked up her eyes seemed to glow an ominous color. Had she learned a new talent so quickly?

To see he sent a blast at her which she reflected back. Together they clashed. It seemed the longer they fought the stronger she got. Between blasting him, tossing him side to side, healing on contact, fazing through attacks, and teleporting herself as well as objects from here or there.

Magneto couldn't believe his eyes. Was she actually putting up a fight against a mutant even he couldn't touch? As quickly as he could he ran to the Professor, pulled him as well as his wheel chair up, and shook him awake. The Professor was about to thank him for the help when he noticed what all the fuss was about.

"She must have absorbed all our powers."

"Amazing." Magneto smiled stepping past the Brotherhood members who fell far too quickly to even mention above.

That was when Logan snapped awake. What was happening with Rogue? She wasn't herself. As they fought he watched Rogue launch blast after blast then her hand seemed to glow on fire as she touched Apocalypse's cheek. Who the hell power was that? Pyro's?

"Oh no!" The Professor exclaimed, "Logan we must stop her!"

"Why?" Magneto demanded an answer.

"Apparently not only does she absorb the power, but she also uses it to its fullest extent. And Jean's power, as you know Eric, is nothing even we want to mess with."

"What about Jean?" Scott whimpered.

"Scott?" He saw Jean's mouth move but that was it.

"Jean!"

"Scott somehow Rogue is too connected to me. Stop her before she turns into something even worse than what I can become … please."

"What can she become? What does she mean? Professor?"

"She," Magneto answered, "Turns into a mutant who calls herself Phoenix. She has the power to obliterate at sight, to create and destroy life, with a flair for killing others."

"Shit."

"Scott don't curse."

"Professor psychically wake everyone up!"

The old man did as asked. Everyone sprung up and was ordered to stop Rogue. But Rogue wasn't having any of that. She was just so angry … well she was always angry, but she never realized how much until it all was compounded. At that moment she wanted to destroy everything and anything.

As everyone tried she didn't like it. Temporarily ignoring Apocalypse she turned on them raising her arms. Something black came from beneath them draining them enough to keep them awake but weak. As she did she could feel their hatred. All their anger.

She felt Kitty's hidden anger. Apparently her strict Jewish relatives thought she was satin incarnate and tried their hardest to avoid her. For a time even her parents. Kitty had wanted so desperately to be better and if it meant lowering others she would do it so long as she could in part return life to the way it was.

She felt Jean's self-hatred. She disliked the evil that lived within and never being able to tell anyone. Scott secretly hated his Father for making them all go on the plane that inevitably took his family from him. Kurt hated those people who chased him around as if he were some beast to be captured back in Germany.

Logan's and Creed's list of hate was long, Lance hated his single mother for always putting her needs above his, Blob hated being laughed at, Toad hated being dirty, Wanda hated her father for abandoning her, Pietro hated never being good enough, Pete hated Magneto for kidnapping his family and so on. And above all else it was the sight of her dog dead before her that fueled her inner rage. The anger was too much. She began to feel the imploding feeling again.

Apocalypse watched as she seemed to float suspended, how her clothes morphed to a tight pure black costume with a white waist sash and a phoenix that quickly changed to an icon of death revealing a fair amount of chest. Her hair extended to her back completely white. Green eyes became onyx. The veins became prominent through her ever whiter skin.

Before the mutant could think to even blink she had a hand wrapped tightly around his throat. Her lips parted as if to give him a kiss but instead he saw her facial veins turn black and smoke filter from her mouth to his. She wasn't absorbing his powers, but his life.

They didn't know what to do. Even Logan who called her name. Then it grew dark. All they could here was the flutter of crows. With the distraction Apocalypse fled actually scared. And when the crows were gone she lay resting.

**DD **

"You helped them."

"Were you not going to?" her voice was teasing.

"I told you I would deal with him, "The External who looked like Storm with various colors of gems and fabric on snapped, "He swore an oaf to me."

"I was simply repaying a favor sister."

"Crow," she shook her head from their hiding spot, "Allow me to take it from here."

"Will you let him die?"

"He has already died."

"You know what I meant."

"Finally these two have managed to find each other."

"It has been what three."

"Five life times. In all the others they were kept from happiness."

"It is because of that I knew who to set him up with."

"Then we shall consider the Wind Rider's favor repaid."

"I assume so."

"Then we leave this realm."

She agreed, "For now."

**DD **

"We'll burry him out back." Logan said.

"No I want to see him longer."

"Rogue it's been a day."

"I said no." her voice was unusually small and she looked as if she were in physical pain. Since she woke up from going all super Rogue she had sat near her dog. Night nor day, sun nor rain, could make her leave it.

"But I love him. I know he's a dog, but I love him so much."

"I know but …"

"Why did he have to die? Why did he have to leave me?," she cried, "I wanted us to be tagether forever, I mean I knew he was going to die someday, but a part of me hoped for him to live forever … why? It's not fair Logan! First my mom, then my dad, and now him! I wanted to die! Why did fate take him and not me!" she cried hysterically then.

"That's how it is sometimes."

"I couldn't even do anything! I took care of him this whole time and he saved my life twice."

"Twice?"

Glossing, "And when it was my turn I couldn't do a damn thang!"

**DD**

"Is she still crying over the dog?" Amanda asked Logan when he returned to one of their numerous tents.

"Yeah."

"Should I speak to her?" Kurt asked.

"I don't think it'll help." He said honestly sitting heavily in one of the foldable chairs.

"Is it true what Jean said?" Amanda asked.

"Depends on what she said." Logan looked over at the sleeping Storm.

"Did mine sister really try to kill herself?" Kurt asked.

"How do you …"

"Jean was connected for a while. While Rogue was in her mind Jean was in hers." Amanda explained.

"It is mein fault isn't it?" Kurt asked.

"Don't blame yourself," Logan said, "Rogue's went through a lot."

**DD**

"Come on wake up." She touched the stiff body of the dog. She knew it was childish to hope it would suddenly move, "Please dog I never even guessed yer name. Please."

"Dog."

"Dog."

"Dog?"

Remy could hear her all right, but couldn't move.

"_Are you going to keep her waiting?" _

"_External?" _

"_She needs you. Question is do you need her?" _

"_Am I dead?" _

"_Possibly." _

"_Kinda figured that." _

"_So you have learned your lesson?" _

"_That I was an ass?" _

"_In short." _

"_So was there something else to learn?" _

"_That there is a difference between existing and living. My sister led you here and here is where you have found your purpose." _

"_Which is." _

"_Not which who." _

"_Who?" _

"_You'll figure it out." _

…**. **

**NOTE: The External is the patron goddess of the thieves.**


	13. Chapter 13

**DOG DAYS 13 **

**. **

"Come on kid it's late," Logan pointed to her with a flashlight more for her convenience than his, "and the dogs starting to stink."

Her eyes wavered between the dog and him. Logan could tell she didn't want to and he was tempted to satisfy her request. Feeling the weight of the shovel in his hand he inhaled deeply. Why didn't these hard moments in life come with a manual? Chapter one suicidal teens. Chapter two loss of a loved one. Chapter three …

"Hand it to me."

"I can do it."

"No I have to."

"Rogue I don't think …"

"Just hand me the damn shovel," she near cried, "can I at least do this for him?"

Hesitantly handing it over, "Remember our deal."

"Logan I'm digging the hole fer te dog not me."

"Make sure it stays that way."

She watched him retreat. Then watched the silhouette of the crumbled mansion. Most students were in the underground rooms bitching about the loss of laptops, games, TVs, clothes, cars, shoes and she hated them for it. How could they cry about their replaceable items when she just lost her pet?

Eyeballing an empty spot on the ground with soft soil she tipped the shovel in dipping it gently enough just to break the surface. As she went from scooping to digging her pace became furious. Why had the dog ruined everything for her? Surely he could understand how happy she was to be in a hole instead of him right? Why did her stupid dog have to jump in the way? Why did her life continue to go from bad to worse in a never ending cycle? Why didn't she think up a third back up plan. A gun, knife, and poison or something? Why did he die when his mistress was so willing to take his place?

It was only after the hole was finished that she realized she had been yelling the words instead of thinking them. Mentally swearing she removed herself from the hole to her dog hesitantly reaching out for one of his paws.

Yes the bottom was still callous from all the walking and there was still matted red hair between each toe including the dewclaw and yet it all felt so irregular. Where was the warmth she had known? Looking at his face she took in the dried foam on its mouth where there should have been drool and how his eyes reminded her of a dying light bulb.

All in all considering the wound he looked horrifying. So why was she trying to carve a mental picture of him in her eyes? Taking one last long glance she couldn't bring herself to say good bye as she gently placed him in the hole followed by the loose soil.

The deed done she sat down next to him. It was morning when she felt a gentle prodding in her head. Stretching she blinked until her eyes focused on the Professor.

At her blank look he began to speak, "I should tell you that he's just a dog, but I know you don't want to hear that."

Not answering yet acknowledging she looked back at the spot on the ground.

"That could have been you you know." He continued.

"I wish it were me."

"Do you really," she nodded, "You are hurt over the death of an animal you've only had for a few months, imagine how hurt Kurt and Logan would be once they figured out the truth if you were to succeed with not even a proper burial to comfort them?"

"I know what I wanted was selfish." She let the wind steal her hair before an empty smile parted her lips, "Ya know Professor I never get what I want."

"And what do you want providing you are alive?"

"I wanted my family back. I wanted a place to call home. I wanted friends so I should revise tat last statement. I guess te truth is I just needed to be loved."

"And he did that for you?"

"When I looked in his eyes I knew I was his world. I haven't felt like tat since I was small."

After a brief silence, "Perhaps we should continue our conversation inside?"

Standing, "Someday we'll play again Dog. I swear it."


	14. Chapter 14

**Epilogue**

**.**

"Where te hell am I?"

His body rigid, air short, he fought to open his eyes. Once he did they were flooded with something dark that stung. Reaching for his eyes with his hands blindly he realized that he no longer had a snout but a mouth. That his paw was a hand and his claws fingers which, although wonderful, wouldn't help if he died here.

Reaching in the direction he believed was up he moved the moist glop out of the way. Deducing that Rogue had in fact buried him as any good owner would do he dug faster until a thought struck. He wasn't a dog anymore meaning …

**. **

"How long has it been?"

"Eight months." She answered placing a sports illustrated magazine on his grave, "Dog liked those ya know."

Logan sat beside her with Gia, his daughter, in his arms, "I know this may not be the best time to ask you this but I know Apocalypse isn't dead and I was wondering."

"May plans have yet ta waver Logan."

"It's a shame Gia here won't get to see her godmother when she grows up."

"I have a feeling she'd rather have her dad round anyway."

The green eyed baby giggled then using one small mocha hand to pull on her navy curls while the other extended towards her father. Narrowing his eyes, "Whose side are you on kid?"

Gia just giggled further as if she knew something he didn't. Shaking his head, "Let me take you back inside before Jean Obi Wans me again."

As he left he heard Rogue gasp. Turning he saw the grave glow red in front of Rogue. He was about to run back for her when he remembered the baby and it wasn't like he could just toss her on the ground. Thankfully he spotted the tall tale signs of Kurt's appearance.

A moment later the pair sat next to him, "Wat's happening Logan?" she asked.

"Vhere did zhe light come from?" Kurt asked standing somewhat protectively in front of the others. Inching forward they stopped when they heard a cough then another cough and another followed by a long white hand grasping the edge.

Rogue ran to him ready to kick his ass for deciding to blow up her pet's grave. Reaching in she yanked him up by his hair, the left arm cocked back ready to deal damage, when his eyes opened and she gasped dropping him.

The man pulled his very naked body up to sit next to hers. For a moment they simply stared at the other. Kurt looked from them to Logan then to the others who came outside.

"Dog?" she finally said looking once again at his eyes.

"Remy."

"Huh?"

"Remy tat's my name. Use it."

She flung herself in his arms, "Ya came back ta me jus like I wanted," then pulled back with a menacing glare, "So this whole time you were a man!" she yelled at the top of her lungs pointing an accusing finger.

Instead of rising in anger with her he stated, "It's a shame really."

"That I didn't realize the truth sooner? Figures what dog likes porn …"

He shook his head, "Non, that you are even more beautiful when I can see you with my own eyes."

Infuriated yet touched, "Don't thank some sweet words is goin ta get ya off te hook!"

"I had ta try didn't I?" he smirked.

"Ya know it's a good thang ya already have a grave cause I'm about ta put ya back in it!"

"If you can catch me tat is."

She reached for him then fully expecting to at least drain him since killing him was out of the question when her eyes widened. Her powers had no effect on him.

**. **

"Looks like Rogue have found her reason for living." Storm laced her hand in Logan's.

"What makes you think that?"

Kissing him on his cheek, "Let's just say a debt is repaid."


End file.
